Phuket Bus Overturns On Patong Hill, Many Injured

[webfact]

BREAKING NEWS: Phuket bus overturns on Patong Hill, many injured

The bus overturned on a curve descending to Patong.

Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Industrial cranes were brought in to clear the wreckage.

Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- Many people were injured and one man is feared dead after a Patong Municipality bus returning from a funeral overturned on Patong Hill this morning.

Rescue foundation volunteers, municipality officers and rescue workers from various agencies continue to pull people from the wreckage of the bus, which came to rest about 10 meters off the road near the Sea Pearl development on Phra Barami Road.

Two men and one woman remain trapped inside the bus. It is feared one of the men may be dead, a Kusoldharm Foundation worker told the Phuket Gazette.

The crash took place at about 8:30am, a relative of one of the survivors told the Gazette.

To facilitate the rescue effort, police have blocked Patong Hill road from the Thung Thong police station in Kathu Municipality to the bottom of Patong Hill, at the Phisit Gorani Road intersection.

Thirty people have been taken to hospital, two of whom were seriously injured, a Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation worker said.

One suffered serious head trauma and the other had a compound fracture to the hand with severe bleeding, the rescue worker added.

The bus was returning about 40 Patong Municipality volunteers from the funeral of highly revered monk Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno in Udon Thani.

The bus was only about one kilometer short of home after the two-day, 1,160-kilometer journey when it overturned on the notorious Patong Hill road, which has been nicknamed “Mount Mayhem” for the number of traffic accidents that occur there.

Patong Municipality is currently seeking some 6 billion baht in funding to bore a tunnel under the mountain.

The town cites safety as among the reasons why the mega-project is needed.

Check back here for updates as more information becomes available.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-03-08

[laurentbkk]

One more time , a bus with people inside ..... everything have been said about rules , drivers knowledge in people transport etc maybe excessive speed also ...... Now it seems that everyday accidents happen . a real shame .... and of course nothing will be done to avoid this.

[gotlost]

Korat yesterday. Phuket today. Whos turn tomorrow?

[Tokay]

Never saw that one coming.

[Old Croc]

One driver for a five day round trip to Udon Thani. Probably drove all night non-stop. Didn't make the last bend.

As is the custom, the driver is still going. Police are looking for him.

Dig the bloody tunnel, or at least paint some new lines on the killer road!

[Valentine]

One driver for a five day round trip to Udon Thani. Probably drove all night non-stop. Didn't make the last bend.

As is the custom, the driver is still going. Police are looking for him.

Dig the bloody tunnel, or at least paint some new lines on the killer road!

Better still make the bus owners responsible as they set the rules on driving hours & take care or not of the maintenance. As long as the owners are immune from any form of justice &/or serious financial compensation we will continue to see a never ending litany of tragedies.

[webfact]

UPDATE

One man dead in Phuket bus tragedy

Rescue workers climbed atop the overturned bus to treat and remove the injured.

Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

Emergency teams responded quickly to the accident in which one man

died and dozens were injured. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- One man has been confirmed dead as a result of a tour-bus accident on Patong Hill this morning.

Patong motorcycle taxi driver Warin Yongyut, 51, died from chest injuries caused when the Patong Municipality bus overturned on Phra Barami road at about 8:30am, a Patong Hospital official said.

Mr Warin was among 53 Patong Municipality volunteers on board the bus as it returned to Patong from Udon Thani in Northeastern Thailand (Isarn).

About 40 injured passengers were initially sent to Patong Hospital. Three seriously injured patients were transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital, including Patong resident Noy Mongkonbut, whose left hand was severed in the accident, the official said.

Another four were transferred to Bangkok Hospital Phuket for treatment while others remained at Patong Hospital.

The driver, who was uninjured in the accident, did not flee the scene and is at Patong Police Station for questioning, despite reports of a police “hunt” for him, Patong Police Superintendent Arayapan Pukbuakao told the Phuket Gazette.

“Nuan”, 40, had been the only driver on the journey to the funeral of highly revered monk Luangta Maha Bua Yannasampanno, Col Arayapan said.

With only one assistant, Mr Nuan and the passengers set out for Patong from the central province of Suphan Buri last night.

After a one-hour stopover in Surat Thani early this morning, the bus continued on the home stretch to Patong, where it crashed on a sharp curve about a kilometer from its final destination, he added.

The road between Thung Thong police station and Patong was re-opened about 3pm after being blocked off by police following the accident. Traffic has returned to normal, commuters told the Gazette.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-03-08

[KED]

One more time , a bus with people inside ..... everything have been said about rules , drivers knowledge in people transport etc maybe excessive speed also ...... Now it seems that everyday accidents happen . a real shame .... and of course nothing will be done to avoid this.

Yes, as sad as the accident is, the saddest part is that Thailand will not learn from the accident about safety regulations about training bus drivers and limiting the time they can drive without a required rest period.

Edited March 8, 2011 by KED

[Credo]

I believe there were some killed heading to the same funeral from Chon Buri. I know there was a bus or van accident.

[GrantPhuket]

Raw footage kindly supplied by NBT TV Phuket, taken about 10am on Tuesday 8 March after a double decker bus crashed near the bottom of Patong hill road about 8.40am. This footage shows the rescue of several injured passengers and the applause from a big crowd of onlookers also stuck in traffic.

[asiawatcher]

There are a lot of unknown details here and no passenger accounts reported. Speed? Fatigue? Mechanical? But the continuing recurrence of these types of accidents does not ring any alarm bells for anyone in Govt or Police. It is a disgrace to say the least.

[ALFREDO]

The road is similar to a mountain top road in the alps, but to small, to narrow, to much hairpin turns for so much traffic.

Special overloaded trucks without sufficient strong engines or/and badly serviced brakes and drivers unexperienced to such steep roads (drivers from other provinces) cause always and everyday problems.

A solution must be found before big thing happens.

The road does just not fit is not ok with the extremly increased traffic of the last years.

[alstaxi]

_{Obviously the crash was a coincidence, case closed.}

Edited March 9, 2011 by alstaxi

[harrycallahan]

It's always a sad irony when people die whilst partaking in the mourning of another. Lets hope they have a safer drive to and from this guy's funeral.

[sirchai]

[media]http://[

Korat yesterday. Phuket today. Whos turn tomorrow?

Two men and one woman remain trapped inside the bus. It is feared one of the men may be dead, a Kusoldharm Foundation worker told the Phuket Gazette.

Here an accident occurred last Friday...the good luck was that the students were already at home, when the driver fell asleep...

Edited March 9, 2011 by sirchai

[sirchai]

[media]http://[

Korat yesterday. Phuket today. Whos turn tomorrow?

Two men and one woman remain trapped inside the bus. It is feared one of the men may be dead, a Kusoldharm Foundation worker told the Phuket Gazette.

Here an accident occurred last Friday...the good luck was that the students were already at home, when the driver fell asleep...

Here the scary photos......the front of the bus was completely destroyed. It took only three seconds to stop the speeding bus in front of a gas station. The sign on one photo's saying:" Please think before driving. "

[sirchai]

I believe there were some killed heading to the same funeral from Chon Buri. I know there was a bus or van accident.

Guess it's really time to change laws regarding people driving vans and busses carrying passengers. Various tests every year plus a special training is necessary. I don't want to drive in a bus anymore.

[spidermike007]

One more time , a bus with people inside ..... everything have been said about rules , drivers knowledge in people transport etc maybe excessive speed also ...... Now it seems that everyday accidents happen . a real shame .... and of course nothing will be done to avoid this.

Yes, as sad as the accident is, the saddest part is that Thailand will not learn from the accident about safety regulations about training bus drivers and limiting the time they can drive without a required rest period.

If they started jailing the drivers for negligence, fining them 1,000,000 baht per incidence, and fining the companies, this situation might improve. Also, suspending their permits, or licenses for five year might help. In other words, some sort of law enforcement in this land of little law enforcement. Do anything, but do not do nothing, unless you want these kinds of incidents to continue. My heart goes out to the Thai families involved. Seems as if the government continues to feel as if the common folks lives are not of great value?

[Watzee]

I believe there were some killed heading to the same funeral from Chon Buri. I know there was a bus or van accident.

yes you're right a van ran into the back of semi turning right killing 7

[starkey_rich]

Amazing Thailand yet again this is all you need to drive a bus here.

Standard of public bus drivers being upgraded

The Department of Skill Development is quickly setting the standard of tour bus drivers nationwide, to boost people’s confidence of security and to draw in more foreign tourists to Thailand.

Md. Somkiart Chayasriwong, the director-general of the Skill Development Department, said the National Skill Standard Setting Subcommittee has officially changed the title of public bus drivers to public bus drivers for tourism. There are currently more than 10,000 tour bus drivers in the country, and in order to raise their standard, some qualifications have to be adjusted. Legal tour bus drivers have to be at least 25 years of age instead of the required 22 years, and they must not get involved with road accidents for two years minimum. However, tour bus drivers’ wages will also be raised. Md. Somkiart said this upgrade will help attract more tourists and create a positive image for Thailand.

On February 1st and 2nd, public bus drivers will take a test to ensure that their skills are qualified, and public members and tourists would also feel more secured.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 26 January 2007

I feel really safe now

Mind you they still have to pass THE FLEEING THE SCENE TEST

[stevenl]

If they started jailing the drivers for negligence, fining them 1,000,000 baht per incidence, and fining the companies, this situation might improve. Also, suspending their permits, or licenses for five year might help. In other words, some sort of law enforcement in this land of little law enforcement. Do anything, but do not do nothing, unless you want these kinds of incidents to continue. My heart goes out to the Thai families involved. Seems as if the government continues to feel as if the common folks lives are not of great value?

Don't go after the poor drivers, go after the owners/operators.

[spidermike007]

If they started jailing the drivers for negligence, fining them 1,000,000 baht per incidence, and fining the companies, this situation might improve. Also, suspending their permits, or licenses for five year might help. In other words, some sort of law enforcement in this land of little law enforcement. Do anything, but do not do nothing, unless you want these kinds of incidents to continue. My heart goes out to the Thai families involved. Seems as if the government continues to feel as if the common folks lives are not of great value?

Don't go after the poor drivers, go after the owners/operators.

Well the owner, operators bear some blame, but so do the drivers. Falling asleep at the wheel, with 40-50 people on board is inexcusable, and bears some punishment. In my opinion severe punishment.