The Royal Forest Department has filed a complaint with Karon police against the Foundation of Phra Ming Monkul Sattha for allegedly triggering a deadly landslide by building a 45-metre-tall seated Buddha on the top of Nak Koet Hill.
Bannaruk Sermthong, the department's deputy chief, yesterday led a team of officials to follow up on the landslide that occurred in Phuket's Muang district on Aug 23, which killed 13 people and injured 19 others.
He said that according to the team's initial investigation, the landslide was caused by the clearing of trees on the hilltop for the erection of a gigantic Buddha statue weighing 135 tonnes.
The hilltop sculpture is part of Wat Kittisankaram.
He said the temple had submitted a request to the department last year to use 15 rai of land in the Khao Nak Koet National Forest Reserve to construct the statue, built by the Foundation of Phra Ming Monkul Sattha.
However, the foundation later expanded construction outside the permitted area, adding five rai of land to the project, he said.
The department submitted a letter prohibiting the move in December last year, he added.
"Heavy rainfall and expanded construction without a permit are likely to have caused the landslide, which claimed many lives in the community down the hill," he said.
"This would not have happened if there had been no huge construction located inside Watershed class 1A [a watershed area with forest cover that has never faced disturbance of any kind]. The area is very sensitive."
The department filed a complaint to seize the forest area that was encroached upon, he said, adding that a committee will be set up to further investigate the matter. Signs prohibiting entry to the area will also be put up.
"When the case is concluded, all structures, including the big Buddha, will be demolished."
Meanwhile, the Department of Mineral Resources has admitted that the landslide warning station was out of order, and that's why it could not warn residents at the base of the hill of the impending disaster.
It said it would fix the problem by next month, as heavy rain is expected to continue until October.
