88 confirmed dead in Phuket crash
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The airplane broke in two and caught on fire after skidding andhitting an embankment following its landing in a heavy rainstorm, Channel 7news reported. Television images showed the aircraft in pieces with smokebillowing from it. Many of the dead were still strapped into their seats, thetelevision report cited eyewitnesses as saying.
Passengers on board includedtourists from Britain, Australia, France andthe Netherlands.88 people are reported dead, Sasi Pong, a Thai Red Cross official said in aninterview with Bloomberg at Phuket’s Watchira Hospital. 42 people arehospitalized and 25 of those are foreigners, she told the news agency.
“About 60 of the bodies were very badly burnt and have not etbeen identified,” she added. “More people are dead than survived,” Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports SuvitYodmani said in another telephone interview in Bangkok with the news agency.
“We can’t identify nationalities yet. This will certainly affectour tourism.” Phuket is one of Asia’s mostpopular destinations with international visitors. On Tourism the island drew 7%of the country’s economy last year. One Two Go Airline Chief Executive Officer Udom Tantiprasongchai told reports that the company istaking responsibility and has also set up a hotline for enquiries about passengers.
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