Thailand plane crash, 87 dead and counting
According to MSNBC.com, a passenger plane crashed Sunday in Thailand as it tried to land in rainy weather conditions on the island of Phuket. The plan split in two and burst into flames leaving 87 dead so far.
The plane was filled with 123 foreign tourists and seven crew members and belonged to the One-Two-Go Airlines. Phuket, an island tourists seem very attracted to, was also one of the areas that was hardest hit by tsunami in 2004, killing over 8,000 people.
“I saw passengers engulfed in fire as I stepped over them on way out of the plane,� Parinwit Chusaeng, a survivor who suffered minor burns, told the Nation television channel. “I was afraid that the airplane was going to explode so I ran away.�
According to the Star Tribune, 88 people were found dead. Although the cause is currently unknown, officials say the bad weather could definitely have something to do with it.
"The visibility was poor as the pilot attempted to land. He decided to make a go-around but the plane lost balance and crashed," said Chaisak Angsuwan, director general of the Air Transport Authority of Thailand. "It was torn into two parts."
Passengers say visibility was poor, but the pilot attempted to land anyway. The plan lost balance and crashed.