Russian tourists injured as Phuket tour bus flips, crashes

PHUKET: Nine Russian tourists were rushed to hospital after the tour bus they were travelling in crashed and flipped onto its roof in Kamala, on Phuket’s west coast, this morning.

The bus was carrying 37 Russian tourists from Phuket International Airport to Patong when the accident occurred at about 7:30am.

The bus driver, Aroon Yaemkua, told police that he was descending the large hill southbound out of Kamala toward the coastal road when he was forced to swerve to avoid a car attempting to overtake the bus.

The bus crashed through the roadside barrier and rolled over onto its roof.

The injured Russian tourists were taken to Patong Hospital, a Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker at the scene told the Phuket Gazette.

“The tourists suffered cuts and bruises, but no serious injuries,” he said.

“Some of them received minor injuries, but declined to go to the hospital because they preferred to stay with their belongings.”

— Thawit Bilabdullar