Plane slides off runway on Thai holiday island, one dead (Lead)
August 4th, 2009 - 5:29 pm ICT by IANSBangkok, Aug 4 (DPA) The captain of a passenger plane was killed when the aircraft he was flying slid off the runway Tuesday while landing at the popular Thai tourist island of Samui, a government official said.
Transport Minister Sophon Sarun said passengers were injured and taken to hospital, but he could not confirm how many or how seriously.
The Bangkok Airways plane on a flight from Krabi to Samui Island lost control when landing in a rainstorm and slid into one of the fire stations, Sophon said.
“The captain was killed,” he said, adding air traffic was halted to the popular resort island.
The plane involved was an ATR-72 twin turboprop which can carry up to 74 people.
A airline spokeswoman confirmed the crash and said several passengers were injured when the plane slid off the runway at 2.30 p.m. (0730 GMT).
Samui Island in the Gulf of Thailand is a popular resort island for Thais and foreigners alike. Bangkok Airways also owns and operates the airport on the island.
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Tags: 0730 gmt, air traffic, atr 72, bangkok airways, foreigners, government official, gulf of thailand, holiday island, krabi, passenger plane, rainstorm, samui island, sarun, spokeswoman, thai holiday, thai tourist, thais, tourist island, transport minister, turboprop
