John

Six Western tourists and two Thai guides were killed after being swept away by flash floods while exploring a cave at a national park in southern Thailand, police said Sunday. One tourist was still missing.

The victims were trekking through the Khao Sok national park in Surathani province late Saturday afternoon when a heavy rainfall caused flash floods that sent water surging through the cave, which was near a waterfall, police Lt. Col. Pichan Kanayasiri said.

Police initially said the tourists were German based on information from their tour company, however they later said the nationalities were uncertain but that they were Westerners. The dead tourists were three women, two men and a child. Another male tourist was still missing.

"The tourists were inside the cave and didn't know what was happening outside," Pichan said. "They were trapped inside the cave."

Rescue teams worked through the night trying to save the group, Pichan said.

A Belgian tourist was killed by a flash flood in the same cave several years ago.

The province's governor, Winai Phopradit, said he had ordered the national park to close during the current rainy season. "We have signs both in English and Thai warning tourists not to go into the cave during heavy rains," he said.



(newsday)

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