Thai Cabinet forms quake relief committee

BANGKOK, May 6 (TNA) - The Thai Cabinet has approved the setting up of an ad-hoc committee to provide assistance to people affected by a powerful earthquake in Chiang Rai Province in the Thai North on Monday evening, urging the public not to panic, as Bangkok and dams remain intact. Deputy Government Spokeswoman Sunisa Lertpakawat told a press conference of the Cabinet's resolution after the Cabinet's weekly meeting on Tuesday, saying that the eight-member committee, chaired by Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi and tasked with working out immediate responses and long-term solutions, comprises of the interior, defence, finance, transport, natural resources and environment, public health and agriculture and cooperatives ministers, as well as the Bureau of the Budget's chief. Plodprasop acknowledged that the earthquake was the strongest in Thailand's history and its aftershocks with the maximum of 5 magnitude are likely over the next 3-4 days. Monday evening's powerful quake reportedly caused cracks on several buildings and roads in nearby Chiang Mai, Lampang and Mae Hong Son Provinces as well. Two powerful aftershocks also reportedly occurred in Chiang Mai Province on Tuesday morning, at 7:50am and 8am, prompting local people to urgently leave their buildings. According to the caretaker deputy prime minister, his ad-hoc committee will survey damages within 15 days, covering dams, roads and buildings, funded by a 500-million-baht budget. The caretaker deputy prime minister suggested that people not overly panic, and that slightly-damaged houses remain liveable. The caretaker deputy prime minister affirmed that the powerful quake does not affect Bangkok, as its impacts are limited within a radius of 200 kilometers, while the Royal Irrigation Department has found no damage at dams in the Thai North, as each dam can stand up to a 7-magnitude earthquake. The state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) also revealed that the powerful quake has no impacts on its dams, as well as high-voltage poles and power stations in Chiang Rai. However, Anek Siripanichakorn, civil engineering head of the Engineering Institute of Thailand, warned people to carefully check their buildings and repair affected ones, insisting that buildings in Bangkok could resist a quake with the magnitude of up to 7 on the Richter scale if it jolted the western Kanchanaburi Province, recommending that buildings in the Thai North have the same capacity, especially those located near fault lines. Meanwhile, Royal Thai Army Deputy Spokesman Colonel Winthai Suwaree told reporters that Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has assigned the Royal Thai Army to quickly help quake victims. Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has, thus, ordered 16 teams of soldiers and military medics in Chiang Rai to help affected people in Phan, Mae Lao, Mae Suai and Muang Districts. (TNA)