Phuket:- Three Chinese tourists were killed when a bus transporting them and 15 others from the Kata beach to the Phuket International Airport plunged down a hillside at noon Wednesday.

Police officers of the Chalong police station said the accident happened at 12:10 pm at the Kata Hills on Patuk Road in Phuket’s Mueang district.

The 15 other Chinese tourists, who suffered cuts and bruises, were rushed to the Wachira Hospital.

The three killed tourists were identified as Hu Huijie, 31, Li Meiling, 29, and Zhou Bo, 31. Their bodies were sent to the Wachira Hospital as well.

Police arrested the bus driver, Khachornwit Srisongkram, 35 and charged him with reckless driving, causing deaths and injuries.

The driver told police that he was taking 18 Chinese tourists from a hotel on the Kata beach to the airport as the tourists were scheduled to fly back home. A tour guide accompanied the tourists.

The driver said when the bus approached the curved downhill road, he lost control of it. The bus then crashed through a rail guard and plunged down the hill and hit a power pole on the roadside before crashing into a big tree below.

The three tourists, who were killed, were hurled through the glass windows.

When police and rescuers reached the scenes, some survivors helped themselves out of the bus and many were lying inside.

At 2 pm, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong and Phuket chief public health officer Khachornsak Kaewcharas rushed to the hospital to check the treatments of the survivors.

Several tourists, who were slightly injured, were discharged and returned to their hotel after treatment and the rest, who were badly injured, remained admitted.

Quelle une surprise.

In fact you could write this comment as an answer to most topics

"Police arrested the bus driver, Khachornwit Srisongkram, 35 and charged him with reckless driving, causing deaths and injuries."

but not with damaging the image of Thailand....

and just how do they know he was driving recklessly?

seems like a rush to judgement

RIP to the three