Tourists among at least five dead as landslide slams into resort on Thai paradise island

At least five people have died after a landslide triggered by heavy rains destroyed a luxury villa and homes on the popular Thai holiday island of Phuket, leaving a trail of destruction.

Among the dead was 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 rains that started at 2am caused a landslide that damaged houses, catching residents of the area by surprise,” Khundech said.

He said the landslide came from the Nak Kerd mountain range and hit a residential area on the island, which includes hotels and rental apartments.

Thailand has been hit by heavy monsoon rains over the past week, mainly affecting the southern coast and areas in the north of the country.

According to the Ministry of Health, the torrential rains have caused flooding that has killed five people and injured 32 others in the past month.

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

A local resident, Sukon Nakmat, 34, told of her near-death experience when she escaped the landslide last night.

She was asleep when she heard a loud bang. She quickly ran outside and climbed onto the roof of her house.

Ms Nakmat said she would have died if she had not fled when she saw a mass of mud and water washing away beneath her, Thai media reported.

While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, human-induced climate change is causing more severe weather events, increasing the risk of devastating floods.

In 2011, widespread flooding hit Thailand, killing more than 500 people and damaging millions of homes in the country.