NAN, Thailand – Geological experts have warned of the high risk of a landslide at Ban Doi Tiew School in Nan’s Tha Wang Pha district, after ground subsidence expanded from a minor two-metre tension crack into one over 100 metres long over the past year. The finding follows an urgent inspection on Friday led by Benjarat Suwannasri, a senior environmental specialist from the Nan Natural Resources and Environment Office, accompanied by Mineral Resources Region 1 experts, local park officials, school administrators and community leaders.

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The inspection was requested by school authorities after severe soil displacement cracked multi-purpose buildings and damaged concrete retaining walls. Field measurements at the mountain campus, located 1,116 metres above sea level, revealed multiple landslip sites, with local authorities noting that land movement began between May and July last year and progressively worsened throughout the monsoon season. The ground’s movement has caused widespread cracking in several school buildings and adjacent structures.

Geologists attribute the instability to underlying reddish-brown siltstone and shale, with the rock strata showing high rates of weathering that create a thick, unstable layer of clay topsoil prone to shifting. According to risk maps from the Department of Mineral Resources, the school sits within a zone designated as having a moderate to extremely high susceptibility to landslides.

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The Mineral Resources Region 1 Office is finalising a comprehensive assessment report and emergency recommendation package, which will be submitted to provincial authorities to guide mitigation and safety measures.

-Thailand News (TN)