Mine Tailings Dam Collapses; Flash Flood Sweeps Away Truck, Two Missing
A mining tailings dam collapsed in Kanchanaburi's Tong Pha Phum District during heavy rains, sweeping a pickup truck into floodwaters and leaving a mother and her 12-year-old daughter missing. Two of the four truck occupants were rescued by
A mining tailings pond dam collapsed in Tong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province when flash floods from sustained heavy rains overwhelmed the structure. A pickup truck carrying four people was swept into the torrent; local residents managed to rescue two occupants, but two others—a mother and her 12-year-old daughter—remain missing. The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on September 27.
On September 28, officials from Lam Khlong Ngu National Park, Tong Pha Phum Police Station, and Kanchanaburi rescue foundations coordinated search operations, establishing a temporary command center at the scene. The four occupants of the truck have been confirmed; two were saved by villagers, while the other two—identified as Nang Thong, 55, and her daughter, a fifth-grade student—remain unaccounted for.
Official Sataporn explained that continuous rainfall over recent days accumulated large volumes of water on steep hillsides, which flowed through tributary streams into two mining tailings ponds covering over 60 acres. As water accumulated, the earthen dam, roughly 30 meters wide, gave way and failed. The released water merged with existing floodwaters, creating a violent torrent that swept away the pickup truck. Officials hope to locate the missing persons safely.
Rain continues in Cha Le Subdistrict, with massive water volumes flowing into both the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers, fed by additional tributary streams. Authorities urge residents along both riverbanks to monitor water levels closely, as they continue to rise steadily.
