International Students Bus Overturns In Phuket

(11 November) A bus carrying foreign students has overturned in Phuket province, injuring almost 40 people.

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The incident took place on the ascending road toward Patong Mountain in Kathu district of the province, where the bus appeared to have plunged into the roadside cliff. At the scene, police and rescue workers worked frantically to send the injured to hospitals. 
 
Nationalities of the injured students vary: police so far have identified the wounded as Burmese, Nepalese, Indian, and Pakistani nationals.
 
Initial investigation said the bus was hired along with three other buses to transport around 200 students in Asian Institute of Technolgy (AIT) during their excursion from Bangkok to Patong Beach in Phuket. However, as it climbs the mountainous road, the third bus suddenly went into a reverse gear and overturned, plunging into the nearby cliff.
 
The driver, Mr. Manit Sawadee, 32, is seriously injured so he cannot give testimony to the police at the moment, officers said.
 
A senior police officer added that the bus might be carrying passengers over its capacity, but stressed that further investigation is needed to establish the clear cause of the incident.
 
 

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