Kantharalak district declared disaster zone, help expedited for residents

SI SA KET, 5 February 2011 (NNT) – Kantharalak district of Si Sa Ket province has been pronounced a disaster zone after clashes erupted between Thai and Cambodian troops while assistance is being urgently provided for the evacuated.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has declared Kantharalak district an emergency disaster area after soldiers on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border were engaged in an artillery exchange on Friday. Local residents were evacuated and are now residing in a shelter at the Kantharalak District Office located 30 kilometers away from the clash site.

As the evacuation was carried out immediately after gunshots were heard, local residents had no time to grab their personal belongings. Therefore, warm clothing, drinking water, food and other necessities are much needed.

In the latest development, mobile toilets have been delivered from the nearby Nakhon Ratchasima province to accommodate the troubled residents while water and food supplies are being given by Kantharalak and Si Sa Ket municipal officials. Student volunteers are also organizing fundraising events while donation centers have been established at the Si Sa Ket City Hall and all district offices throughout the province.