Nam Talu cave remains closed to the public due to ongoing flood risks.
PUBLISHED: 7 Aug 2024 at 11:12
SURAT THANI – A tragic incident occurred at Nam Talu cave in Khao Sok National Park when a tour guide drowned following a sudden flash flood as a group of tourists was leaving the cave on Tuesday evening.
Luckily, the 22 foreign tourists and a second guide were able to escape the rushing water with only minor injuries. Two Dutch women required treatment at a local hospital for leg injuries.
Nam Talu cave, situated next to the Rajjaprabha Dam reservoir in Phanom district, is typically closed to visitors from June to November each year due to the dangerous risk of flooding.
It remains unclear why the tour guides disregarded the closure and took the tourists inside on that day.
The flash flood struck around 7:30 PM, just as the group was exiting. One guide was swept away and presumed missing, prompting a search operation.
Rescue teams, including rangers, conducted a search for the missing guide, Pongyot Koeddee, 37, whose body was tragically recovered in the cave around 3:20 AM on Wednesday.
Attapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, announced measures to initiate legal action against the tour company responsible for the incident.
He reiterated that the cave is officially closed during the rainy season from June 1 to November 30 due to flooding hazards.
Notably, Nam Talu cave is recognized for its striking rock formations, stalactites, and stalagmites, measuring 600 meters long and 30 meters wide at the entrance. This popular tourist site has been subjected to previous tragedies, including a devastating flood in 2007 that claimed eight lives.
Tourists recuperate at a nearby hotel after their rescue from the flooded Nam Talu cave.
