Names released of 9 injured in Samui incident; Airport to re-open later Wednesday

BANGKOK, Aug 5 (TNA) – Nine passengers from five countries — Britain, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland — injured in Tuesday’s incident at an airport serving aThai tourist venue are being treated at three nearby hospitals in the southern province of Surat Thani, according to Surat Thani hospital’s rescue centre.

Two Dutch nationals, Abreheam Gzaaf, 42, and Lucar Gzaaf, 11, are at Ban Don Inter Hospital.

Five persons, Nicholas Havel, 39, British, Panteli Patelis, 39, British, Elodie Lacovangelo, 41, Swiss, Mirella Gastaldi, 39, Italian, Amilie Bahne, 19, Denmark are being treated at Bangkok Samui Hospital.

Two others, Joyce Gosleng, 26, and Claire Ballantyne, 33, both British, are being treated at Thai International Hospital.

Samui Airport where a Bangkok Airways aircraft skidded off the runway and crashed into an unused air traffic control tower after landing expected to re-open for normally service after midday when investigators inspect the runway and complete collecting evidence to help find the cause of the accident, said Kannika Khemawuthanont, Director-General of Thailand’s Civil Aviation Department.

Bangkok Airways flight PG266 hit the old air traffic control tower, converted into a fire station, killing a pilot and injured 41 passengers. The aircraft, enroute from Krabi to Samui airport in the popular resort island of Samui in Surat Thani, carried 68 passengers and four crew members

Mrs Kannika said that the authorities had already retrieved the black box but the cause of the accident could not yet be concluded as the box required decoding abroad and investigators must collect more evidence at the airport.

She said this morning the authorities would inspect the runway to collect evidence, including aircraft tyre traces on the runway, and then remove the damaged aircraft before re-opening the airport.

It was expected that the airport could resume normal services after midday, she said.

The cause of the accident could be concluded after the investigative team receives the data from black box and combines with other evidence, including blood test results from the pilots, which could take several weeks, the director-general said.

She added that the initial information showed that there was no heavy rain while the plane landing as earlier report but it was windy afternoon.

The aircraft was just landing normally and running for 300 metres before turning to hit the building, she said, adding that the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control was ordinary procedure.

Meanwhile, the body of pilot Chartchai Pansuwan was airlifted to Bangkok this morning together with the co-pilot, who is in critical condition.

He suffered broken ribs and other broken bone was admitted to Bangkok Hospital in the capital.

The co-pilot was stuck in the aircraft for more than two hours and was reportedly among the last to be evacuated from the heavily damaged plane. (TNA)