Police were notified of the incident at 4am, when Pol Lt Col Ronnaphoom Phumphoon, Deputy Superintendent (Investigation) at Tha Chatchai Police Station, received a report of a serious road traffic accident on Thepkrasattri Rd near Baan Ao To Khun in Mai Khao.
Emergency responders, including rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation and local rescue teams, along with medical staff from Thalang Hospital, were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, officers found a white tour van with a yellow Phuket licence plate that had sustained severe front-end damage after crashing into a roadside power pole. A metal guardrail had pierced through the body of the vehicle, causing devastating injuries to those inside.
A total of 12 Russian tourists were in the van at the time of the crash. One female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, while 11 others were injured. Three passengers were trapped inside the wreckage and had to be freed using hydraulic cutting equipment in a complex rescue operation.
The injured were provided first aid at the scene before being transported to Thalang Hospital, Mission Hospital Phuket and Vachira Phuket Hospital for further treatment.
The driver, identified as 41-year-old Denchai Kesaohom, told police he had been transporting the group from Karon to the Similan Islands in Phang Nga when the incident occurred. He said a trailer truck was travelling ahead of him and, after slowing and applying the brakes, he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the road and collide with the pole.
Mr Denchai denied falling asleep at the wheel, insisting he was fully conscious at the time. Police noted that all passengers were wearing seatbelts.
Officers have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, and said that legal proceedings will follow.