Chiang Mai wall facing storm risk

CHIANG MAI: A part of a historic wall on this northern city has crumbled after the ground surrounding the wall’s base absorbed weighty rainfall for several days, and meteorologists are usually predicting further storms to sweep throughout the city tomorrow.

A 10-metre-long section at Chang Phueak Gate on the moat in Muang district collapsed last night.

Mayor of Chiang Mai municipality Assanee Buranupakorn said the occurrence occurred around 8am, although no one had been injured.

Therdsak Yenjura, the particular director of the archaeological conservation office from the 7th Regional Office of Fine Artistry Department, attributed the main cause to soil that will absorbed too much drinking water from rainfall.

The collapsed sector was built-in 1957 to replace an early on outer part of the ancient wall that surrounded the central part of the city. Workers were checking the walls by all the ancient entrance to ensure public protection.

Rain has blanketed the particular northern province lately and the Meteorological Section has issued the storm alert for most parts of the country between Wednesday and Thursday since Super Typhoon Noru is expected to reach the Vietnamese coastline during the period.

Its landfall in Vietnam would certainly send rain, gusty winds and some downpours into provinces in the northern, northeastern, main and eastern locations, the Meteorological Section warned.

The Disaster Avoidance and Mitigation Section said yesterday regarding 52 provinces, many of them in the northern and northeastern regions, will be affected by the influence of the powerful typhoon and flash floods and runoff are a risk.

Many provinces had been already affected by water damage due to unusually prolonged, heavy rain this season.

The particular typhoon was expected to arrive on Luzon island in the Philippines late yesterday.