Phuket test tsunami alarm

Thailand's National Disaster Forecast Center (NDWC) said, starting April 7, at 9 am every day, 79 tsunami warning stations along the Andaman coast will signal test signals.

Tsunami in Phuket in 2004
(Photo: asiantsunamivideos)

Meteorological center staff, Ms. Jumleang Chutab, said the sirens were regularly checked since the construction of the tsunami warning system, but it was only in a " quiet " state.

According to the new test system, loudspeakers will emit signals at 9am to ensure that they are in good working condition. These sounds last only for a few minutes and can be heard clearly in a radius of 50 to 70 meters. NDWC intends to test a large-scale forecasting system and will test it in the next 3 months.

However, during the signal test last weekend, many people in Phuket and the surrounding area were not informed about this test. Many people panicked and led other groups to evacuate urgently. The NDWC is conducting a review of the incident and will plan in more detail in the next trials.

Huong Giang