S'porean driver dies, 4 passengers in car hurt in Phuket bus accident
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A Singaporean woman was killed in a traffic accident in Phuket, Thailand, on Friday night after the car she was driving collided with a tour bus.
The Bangkok Post reported yesterday that the police were alerted to the accident at 10.50pm in Mueang district.
When the police and rescue workers arrived at the scene, they found a badly damaged Toyota Yaris and a small white bus with a broken windscreen, the newspaper reported.
The Bangkok Post said that Ms Renee Ho Jia Hui, 21, was unconscious at the scene and died on the way to hospital.
Four other Singaporeans in the car were hurt. The Thai driver of the bus and two guides - a Thai and a South Korean - on board were also injured.
All of them were taken to hospital, the newspaper said.
Preliminary investigations showed that Ms Ho lost control of her vehicle while driving downhill, causing it to hit the bus. Police investigations are ongoing.
Local media reported that two men and three women (including Ms Ho) were in the car on the way back to their accommodation in the Karon district.
They reported that the injured passengers were trapped and had to be extricated from the wreckage by rescue workers using cutting tools.
The 20-seater tour bus had dropped off a group of foreign tourists in the Patong area and was returning to the Chalong district when the accident occurred.
Responding to queries from The Sunday Times, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has been in contact with the affected Singaporeans and is assisting their families.
It added: "A team from the Singapore embassy in Bangkok is currently present in Phuket to provide consular support on the ground.
"We offer our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and wish the injured a smooth and speedy recovery."
- Additional reporting by Tan Tam Mei
