Tourists amongst a minimum of 5 lifeless as landslide hits resort in Thailand

At least five people are dead after a landslide caused by heavy rain slammed into a luxury villa and homes on the popular Thai resort island of Phuket, leaving a trail of carnage in its wake.

Among the dead were a Russian couple who were on holiday in the area, local police chief Khundech Na Nongkhai said, adding that officers were working to identify the other victims.

‘Heavy rain which began at 2.00 am last night caused a landslide that damaged homes. Those living in the area were caught off guard,’ Khundech said.

He said the landslide descended from the Nak Kerd mountain range and slammed into a residential area of the island, where hotels and rented apartments are located.

Thailand has been struck by heavy monsoon rains over the last week, largely affecting the country’s southern coast and areas in the north.

The torrents of water have caused flooding that has killed five people over the past month and injured 32 others, according to the health ministry.

In Phuket, military personnel, volunteer groups and police have been deployed to find any other victims, but forecast heavy rain could hamper the operation, Khundech said.

A local named as Sukon Nakmat, 34, recounted her brush with death as she escaped the landslide last night.

She had been sleeping when she heard a loud bang, and quickly ran outside and climbed onto the roof of her house.

Ms Nakmat said she would have died had she not run, as she saw a mass of mud and water sweep below her, Thai media reports. 

While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.

Widespread flooding across Thailand in 2011 killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes around the country.