Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Two confirmed dead in Shan State plane crash

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Tuesday, 25 December 2012 12:29 Mizzima News

Shan State Prime Minister Aung Myat has confirmed that at least two people were killed in an airplane crash on Tuesday morning as it attempted to reach Heho Airport in heavy snow, according to Burmese weekly journal Popular News.

The wreckage of Air Bagan's 22-year-old Fokker-100 which crashed en route to Heho in Shan State carrying many foreign tourists. One passenger is reported dead while a motorist on the ground was also killed by the impact. ( PHOTO: Htoo Eain)

One of the 65 passengers on Air-Bagan flight W9-011 Yangon- Mandalay- Heho reportedly died before the crash landing, while a motorist was killed on the ground by the impact of the aircraft.

“There were 47 foreign tourists on the plane,” Aung Myat was quoted as saying. “We are contacting their respective tour agencies. We are still trying to establish the identity of the person who was killed inside the plane.”

Eleven people with injuries have been taken to nearby Saosanhtun Hospital in Taunggyi, Popular News said.

An eyewitness said that flames were coming from the plane as it went down in the field.

Meanwhile, Vice-Minister of Information Ye Htut has said that the fire broke out as the plane crash landed in a paddy field near the airport runway, and said the reason for the crash was poor visibility caused by heavy snow.

He said that the dead passenger was an 11-year-old, and that four foreigners were among the 11 people hospitalized.

The Deputy Information Minister said that there were 51 foreigners among 63 passengers, with an additional six crew and two security officers on board the 22-year-old Fokker 100.

Heho is a town in the Taunggyi District of Burma's southern Shan State. It is the main airport serving Inle Lake, one of the top tourist attractions in the country.

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