Bangkok Airways Flight PG 266 from Krabi to Koh Samui skidded off the runway during bad weather with strong winds, around 2.30 pm injuring many and killing the pilot of the flight, when the plane crashed into an old control tower now being used as a parking space for fire engines.
The plane was carrying 68 passengers (only tourists, no Thai people) and 4 crew, currently reports talk about 34 injured passengers and 7 critical and blood group B is needed by the hospitals on Samui, mainly Bangkok - Samui hospital. Supposedly the co pilot is still stuck in the aircraft.
Thai TV Channel 3 is live on air with reports from Samui and for the first time a possible 10 killed passengers and 20 injured are mentioned. Right now, details are still fairly sketchy.
A press conference is about to start.
Samui airport has suspended all traffic until further notice.
On November 21, 1990, a Bangkok Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-8-103 crashed on Koh Samui while attempting to land in heavy rain and high winds. All 38 people on board perished.
My day started out nice with plenty of sunshine and I was about to pick up my old school friend from Nathon where he was to arrive by ferry, a good 4 hours late. The moment they landed all hell broke lose, just like yesterday around 2 pm and a massive storm with heavy rain and wind started, pretty much around the same time the Krabi flight came into Samui. The picture above shows the dark clouds building up, just before the storm hit home.
On our way over to my friends hotel at Samui First Bungalow Beach Resort many ambulances passed us, obviously on their way to the airport as we soon found out. This picture shows an ambulance at full speed on it's way to Bangkok Samui hospital when I was on my way home after I dropped my friend and family off at their hotel.
I couldn't resist to have a look at the airport myself and there were some picture opportunities . This shows the crash site form a distance and you can clearly seethe amount of safety vehicles gathered around the plane.
This picture is nearer to the plane and the nose of the plane crashed into the structure of the old control tower that was not in use anymore.
The rubberneckers having a field day, next to the crash site, which could be reached through a very narrow and muddy path which runs next to the airport, a newly discovered part of Samui by me!
This picture shows the damage done to the old control building when the plane, an ATR 72 crashed into the building.
Another overview picture, taken on my way home. Right now the press conference is in full swing so hopefully very soon there will be some more news available.Please note that all pictures are copyrighted and can't be used without prior agreement by me.
Camille
5 comments:
Too bad. Dutch newspapers report 7 Dutch people wounded, of which one was an Embassy employee.
This is very sad news. We flew with bangkok Airways last year to and from Samui from Bangkok. I really hope casualties are kept to a minimum and some reports of deaths are incorrect.
Barry - Ireland
Toch wel handig als je zo dichtbij woont en met je neus bovenop het nieuws zit ;) Indrukwekkende fotoserie en 'gelukkig' viel het allemaal mee. Het weer was ook wel bar en boos deze middag en 't komt ook ineens vanuit het niets opduiken.
Hello Camille , been reading your blog and i was wandering if you know whether it is likely the airport will be reopen by 6th , me and my girlfriend are flyering over for two weeks, i have asked bangkok airways but i thought i would give you a try too??
also, do you think the storms will be occuring all the time over the next two weeks ,was hoping for some decent weather ??
thanks
dan
Hi Dan,
Not too sure if the airport will be open by the fight, I most certainly hope so. It's likely that the Surat Thani airport will be used and passengers will get ferried over to/from Samui for the time being. I think it's in everyone's interest to get the airport open asap providing it's safe!
Regarding the weather, after tomorrow the strong winds should ease up and good weather should hopefully prevail, as it normally does in August on Samui.
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