A FIVE-YEAR-OLD Israeli girl died after falling from a songthaew passenger vehicle at Phuket’s Patong beach last night (May 16) with her parents seen enjoying the ride there, Amarin TV said this afternoon.
Pol. Maj. Rungruang Sakhon, an inspector at Patong police station, quickly went to Patong Hospital to check on Miss Nbaa Bahnasi, 5, who was rushed there after falling out of the vehicle in front of a convenience store on Thaweewong road.
Upon arriving he was told by Dr. Witwit Kowcharoen that the small girl had died as she had received a severe blow on her head with the left side of her skull having collapsed.
The girl’s father, Mr. Bahnasi, 31, told police that he was riding the songthaew, which is called tuk tuk in Phuket, with his family when his daughter fell out of the window on the right side and hit the road.
He quickly picked her up and the vehicle driver, Mr. Boonyang (surname withheld) rushed them to the hospital but his daughter later died. He wants to quickly take her body back to Israel for a funeral.
Today Pol. Col. Chalemchai Hersawat, head of Patong police station, further investigated the Israeli girl’s death and two nearby shopkeepers gave additional details.
Ms. Saichol (surname withheld), owner of Counter Tour, said she saw some foreigners coming in a songthaew with loud music playing and slowing down in front of a restaurant. Moments later she heard a loud scream so rushed out and then saw that the small girl had fallen out of the vehicle but she did not know how she fell. After that the driver took them to the hospital.
However Mr. David (surname withheld), owner of a tailor shop, said the girl’s parents were enjoying themselves during the ride dancing to the music in the vehicle.
He was uncertain whether the girl fell out of the vehicle while the driver was braking or had already stopped for the passengers to disembark. After the girl hit the ground the parents screamed upon seeing blood flow out.
The girl was likely climbing down the stairs at the rear of the vehicle just as it was slowing down and the driver braking which caused her to fall and hit her head on the road, he said, adding she was probably standing on the edge of the stairs.
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Top and Front Page: Patong Hospital emergency room and a row of chairs nearby. Photos: Amarin TV
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