Phuket tour van in three-way accident on Patong Hill

PHUKET: A van carrying foreign tourists was involved in a three-vehicle accident on Patong Hill road this morning, causing a long traffic tailback into Phuket’s most popular west coast resort town.

The accident happened on the hairpin turn descending into Patong where numerous other mishaps have occurred, including the crash of a tour bus full of Russian tourists in October last year and the fatal overturning of bus full of Patong-based Buddhist pilgrims in March of the same year.

An officer stationed with the Patong Department Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) unit told the Phuket Gazette that the accident occured just before 10:30am.

Two people suffered minor injuries in the accident, the officer reported.

“Three vehicles were involved: a tour van full of foreign tourists, a six-wheeled truck belonging Phuket Srisuchart Co, and a pickup truck with three men in the cab,” said the officer.

“The van, belonging to the Phuket Mai Khao tour company, was heading eastbound from Patong to Kathu Municipality, and the six-wheel truck and the pickup were heading west toward Patong.

“We still don’t know all the details. We’re looking into it now,” he said.

At last report, a motorist told the Gazette by mobile phone that westbound traffic was just starting to inch its way forward over the hill.