Ten Brits feared dead in Thai plane crash

Up to ten Britons are feared to be among the 88 people killed in a plane crash as it tried to land during heavy wind and rain in Thailand.A total of 123 passengers - mostly foreign tourists - plus seven crew, were on board the budget One-Two-Go Airlines domestic flight from Bangkok to Phuket.The plane skidded off the runway and then ran through a low retaining wall and split in two.Emergency workers pulled 88 bodies from the wreckage and the 42 survivors were taken to hospital after the crash on the tourist island.Phuket's deputy governor, Worapot Ratthaseema, said British passengers were among the fatalities, along with Irish, French, German, Israeli, and Australian travellers.Reports have put the British death toll at around ten, with eight survivors, but the Foreign Office was not able to give exact figures about the Britons involved.It is not expecting to have the number of casualties and fatalities until the British ambassador to Thailand, Quinton Quayle, arrives in Phuket to co-ordinate operations.On Sunday, Mr Quayle said: "We do hear that there may be British casualties amongst the dead and wounded."I can't say more than that, other than that we have our Honorary Consul who is actually on the spot at the moment and then going to the hospital to check on the whereabouts of any Brits that may be on the plane."Our concern at the moment is with the welfare of the British passengers and their families and that is our top priority - to establish the facts and look after them."Thailand's Transport minister Theera Haocharoen said the flight's two data recorders, or "black boxes", had been recovered from the wreckage - but it was too early to say what caused the crash.He said: "The officials have found the black boxes and will send them for analysis to the US. Hopefully, we will learn in a few weeks the cause of the accident."It was not clear exactly how many foreigners were killed but the Thai Ministry of Public Health later issued a partial list of 31 foreign survivors, which included five Britons.An inquiry line has been set up for friends and family of people suspected to have been travelling on the plane to get further information, on 0207 008 0000.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | September 17, 2007

Tags:. .total. .accident. .pulled. .heavy. .french