THAI AIRCRAFT FLY HOME BUS ACCIDENT VICTIMS

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 (Bernama) -- The bodies of 25 Thai tourists who died in
the bus accident at the Cameron Highlands-Simpang Pulai Road two days ago were
flown home on two Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) C-130 aircraft Wednesday.

Both aircraft took off from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base in
Subang, here at about 5pm.

One of the 10 Thai tourists who were injured in the accident was also flown
back to Bangkok on one of the aircraft.

All the bodies were taken on a trailer and a van from the Hospital Raja
Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB), Ipoh and arrived at the airbase at about 3.30pm.

Three of the injured victims were taken on an ambulance to Bukit Kayu HItam
Wednesday before being sent to Hadyai while six others were still receiving
treatment at the HRPB.

The Thai government had sent the two aircraft to take back the bodies of the
25 Thai nationals who died in the bus accident which also killed the bus driver
and tourist guide who were Malaysian nationals, while another 10 Thai tourists
were injured.

Meanwhile in IPOH, there was again calmness at the Forensic Department
compound at the HRPB and the situation returned to normal after all the 25
bodies of the
Thai tourists who died in the accident were sent to the RMAF Subang Airbase at
12.15pm today.

However, the situation was different Wednesday morning when the gathering
and documentation process was carried out as early as 8.30am with relatives
crying over the death of their loved ones.

The department lobby was filled with rows of white-coloured coffins which
were labelled with the names of the deceased.

Among the relatives was Minnita, 29, who arrived from Bangkok at 8pm last
night to claim the bodies of her parents, Phuwadit and Thanathon Thansak
Theenakun.

The only child of the couple, who arrived at the compound at 9.30am, had to
be consoled by a representative from the Thai Embassy after she was informed
that both her parents had died in the accident.

Another relative, Aummarime Kamolkunpipat, also cried at the death of his
wife,
Piyanun Klingchuay.

Efforts by the media to interview relatives of the deceased were futile as
they
were not allowed to approach the relatives and were instead instructed to stay
within six metres away from the waiting area for the relatives, representatives
of the tour agency and embassy staff.

The process of sending back all the victims who died had also received wide
coverage from the Thai media including Channel 3, NBC and NEC, besides the local
media.

Five Buddhist priests from the Sri Bunyama Temple located at Jalan Raja
Dihilir, here were also taken to the department to perform religious rituals on
all the dead victims. The rituals were also participated by relatives of the
deceased and representatives of the Thai embassy.

In a related development, a 25-ton lorry was used to take all the 25 coffins
bearing the deceased to the RMAF Subang Airbase and more than 50 military and
police personnel also helped to carry the coffins onto the lorry.

Meanwhile, survivors of the accident, Areena Songserm, 20, Rungnapa
Klungsuwan, 53, and Suchanchira Chaiaueai, 41, were taken in an ambulance to
Bukit Kayu Hitam, accompanied by a nurse and a doctor from Thailand, while
Pramualrat Phimpahu, 45, was taken to the RMAF Base in Subang to take a flight
to Bangkok.

Six other victims who were injured are receiving treatment at a hospital
here as they were not in a position to be taken home.

-- BERNAMA