( RIA Novosti ) - At least 87 people were killed when a Thai passenger jet skidded off a runway in heavy rain and crashed after landing on the island of Phuket on Sunday, local officials said.
Many of the 123 passengers on the One-Two-Go Airlines flight to the island, one of Thailand's most popular resorts, are believed to be foreign nationals, mainly European tourists. On crashing, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 plane broke into two parts, and burst into flames.
The budget airliner, en route from Bangkok had seven crew members, of which the two pilots have reportedly survived. More than 40 people have been taken to hospital.
According to the AFP news agency, the passengers included citizens of Australia, Austria, Britain, Iran, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was checking whether any Russians were on board the airliner.