Airports, dams in Thai North not damaged by May 5 quake

CHIANG RAI, THAILAND, May 6 (TNA) - Mae Fah Luang International Airport in Chiang Rai Province in the Thai North, the center of a 6.3-magnitude earthquake striking Thailand on May 5, as well as northern dams have not reportedly been damaged by the powerful quake. The Mae Fah Luang International Airport in Chiang Rai's Muang District has been opened for its normal aviation services although air traffic control officers have to temporarily use a back-up system downstairs, instead of the main system in its high-rise air traffic control tower after Monday evening's quake, which has been followed by over 100 aftershocks so far. Authorities at the Mae Fah Luang International Airport affirmed on Tuesday morning that all systems at the airport have been functioning well. Pisut Chokekhatawat, Director of the Bhumibol Dam in Thailand's northwestern Tak Province, told reporters, in the meantime, that the dam has reamined intact, as its structure can withstand up to a 7.5-magnitude earthquake. Somwang Pansuksan, maintenance chief of the Kwai Noi Bamrung Dan Dam in Phitsanulok Province in the Lower Thai North, also said the dam remains strong. Meanwhile, Caretaker Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipunt inspected damages, following Monday evening's strongest-ever quake in the country's history, ordering concerned agencies to repair a main road which was badly damaged by the powerful quake so that it remains passable by commuters within Tuesday evening. Chatchart also instructed that the Mae Fah Luang International Airport provide clear fire escape routes for passengers and visitors in case of emergency and to deploy officials to thoroughly oversee areas in the airport's compound, and that all passenger boarding bridges be temporarily suspended and all airplanes use remote parking and side stairways, instead, to better ensure a safe evacuation of passengers in case of any emergency, while also reducing the risk of damage to the boarding bridges and planes. The caretaker transport minister reportedly faced several aftershocks when inspecting the Mae Fah Luang International Airport, prompting him to evacuate the building. Dr. Narong Sahamethapat, Permanent Secretary for Public Health, told journalists, after calling a meeting with his ministry's executives, that hospitals in five northern Thai provinces were affected by the powerful quake, including those in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Phrae, and Lampang, with three hospitals in Chiang Rai having been most severely damaged, forcing a transfer of patients to other hospitals temporarily. Dr. Narong was leading a team of Public Health Ministry officials and journalists to visit hospitals in affected areas on Tuesday afternoon, advising people of risk groups to follow updated information issued by relevant government agencies and to be on alert to cope with incidents in any emergency. (TNA)