Six Foreigners Injured In Air Crash Transferred To

BANGKOK, Aug 6 (TNA) - Six foreigners injured in the Bangkok Airways crash at Samui Airport were transferred to Bangkok Hospital in the capital and the co-pilot has undergone surgery Thursday afternoon.

Dr Chakkraphun Pongsathien, director of Bangkok Hospital Samui, said that five foreigners injured in the air crash at Samui Airport were transferred to Bangkok hospital in the capital on Wednesday night, so their families can easily visit them and their embassies can easily assist them.

One foreigner, a Dutch national who earlier received treatment at Bandon International Hospital in Surat Thani, was also transferred to Bangkok Hospital.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Hospital CEO Dr Chatri Duangnet said the condition of the co-pilot of the Bangkok Airways aircraft, Thanawat Premruethai was in stable condition, on a respirator as he suffered lung damage and broken ribs.

He underwent surgery Thursday afternoon to stop bleeding in his abdomen. He will be treated in the intensive care unit after the operation. Among six foreigners, four have broken legs and two others have soft issue wounds, according to Dr Aat Nitiphon, a surgeon.

One of the six patients, a British national with colon cancer and in the ICU, is expected to be moved out from intensive care later Thursday. Another patient will have an operation Thursday to fix his broken leg.

A pilot was killed and 41 passengers were injured when the Bangkok Airways flight PG266 from Krabi to Samui skidded off a runway and crashed into the old air traffic control tower at Samui airport in Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani. (TNA)

-- TNA 06/08/09http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=11172