Landslide Threatens Nan Province School Amid Heavy Rains

NAN – A massive landslide is currently causing serious panic in the quiet village of Doi Tiw. This rural village is peacefully located in the Thawangpha district of Nan province, Thailand. However, recent heavy rains have unfortunately caused the mountain ground to sink and collapse heavily. This dangerous collapse is happening right near Ban Doi Tiw School and local family homes. The school buildings are suffering from severe cracks. Students and teachers are currently facing a highly unsafe learning environment every single day. The situation at the mountain has worsened very quickly over the past few months. Back in the middle of last year, the initial ground collapse was only about two meters wide. However, the heavy rains during this year’s wet season have changed the natural landscape entirely. Currently, the dangerous landslide stretches for more than 100 meters across the steep mountain surface. Local people are also finding many new cracks and deep splits in the ground nearby. This rapid and scary expansion is a major concern for everyone living in the local area. Officials are certainly not taking this dangerous natural disaster lightly at this moment in time. Mana Permpool, the local environmental chief, quickly sent a special expert team to check the damage. Several environmental experts and geologists recently traveled up the mountain to inspect the broken earth. During their visit, inspectors found very severe cracks in the school’s classrooms and the main multipurpose building. These deep cracks clearly show that the massive dirt layer underneath is still moving constantly. The ground is simply not stable enough to hold the heavy concrete structures safely anymore. The natural science behind this disaster makes the current situation even more alarming for locals. Geologists quickly discovered that the ground here sits on soft red siltstone and fragile shale. These specific types of underground rocks break down and decay very easily over a short time. Because these rocks rot away, a thick layer of soft clay forms directly on top. This heavy, wet clay layer easily slides down the mountain when it rains very heavily. Therefore, the real chance of another major landslide happening in this area remains extremely high. The Department of Mineral Resources has also issued strong official warnings about this specific location. They stated clearly that this mountainous area has a medium to very high risk of landslides. Local community leaders must take this serious safety warning into account right away to prevent tragedy. The geological team has already finished their official inspection report and proposed local safety suggestions. They immediately sent these important documents to the Nan Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office. Now, the local government must decide exactly how to protect the vulnerable village and the school.