Phuket officials postpone Christmas Day tsunami drill
PHUKET (Phuket Gazette) -- Phuket officials have postponed a full-scale tsunami drill that was planned for Christmas Day, following a number of complaints from victims' families who are preparing for the 10th anniversary of the tragedy on Boxing Day.
“We have cancelled plans to hold the full-scale drill on Christmas Day after receiving feedback from the victims’ families, who feel that the drill will bring back bad memories,” said Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office.
The drill was initially scheduled to be held on December 25, but Governor Nisit Jansomwong later said that he was considering postponing the drill after foreigners filed complaints with him saying they didn’t want to witness a full-scale drill so close to the 10th anniversary day.
“Governor Nisit understands that the timing of the drill is sensitive, so he has ordered it to be rescheduled,” Mr Santhawat told the Phuket Gazette Tuesday.
