Monday, September 17, 2007

Phuket air crash

I’m abandoning my planned post for today in light of the Thai air crash yesterday in Phuket.

My mum called me at 4am because she’d just heard the news. Clearly she felt awful for waking me, and wanted to get off the phone almost immediately once she’d established we were in Bangkok this weekend. I’d prefer she did wake me though rather than lie awake worrying about us. Once I was awake, I wanted a bit of a chat before saying goodbye.

After I’d hung up I realised it didn’t really stop there for us: it wasn’t a question of reassuring anyone. Husband and I lay awake wondering if we knew anyone on the ‘plane. Husband’s work had got a volunteer green group down in Phuket this weekend cleaning the beaches and we have lots of friends who might just go down for the weekend. But the nature of our lifestyle (that Husband works and the children go to school) and those of our friends means it’s unlikely anyone we know was going Bangkok to Phuket on a Sunday: they’d be doing the reverse trip back to Bangkok in time for the start of the week.

Still, not knowing anyone on the ‘plane doesn’t make it more or less of a tragedy. So today’s post is dedicated to anyone who knows anyone hurt or killed in the crash.

13 comments:

Helen said...

My thoughts go out to them too. It sounds odd but my first thoughts were for my (deceased) brother in law as he used to live there. I forgot for a moment. Funny how our mind works...

Jenny Beattie said...

No, it's not odd at all Helen. I too thought how unfair it was that the area should be hit by another tragedy.

CL Taylor said...

I saw the photographs in the paper this morning and it's astonishing that anyone survived at all. My heart goes out to all those who lost their lives and their relatives and those that survived (they must be horribly traumatised).

JJ - I'm glad your mum managed to contact you and that you and yours are safe.

Jenny Beattie said...

Cally, thank you. Waking me at 4am is such a small thing, isn't it? She wouldn't have slept if she hadn't. It really is astonishing that anyone survived it.
Jjx

Lane Mathias said...

What a horrible, horrible tragedy.
So sad.
x

Jon M said...

It is not good. :-(

Rose Red Art said...

Awful, just awful.

Seeing it on the news was heartbreaking.

After hearing about Colin McRae's (A scottish Rally Driver incase you don't know) death after his helicopter crashed, this was just more horrible news.

Angie said...

Glad to hear you and yours are safe in this tragedy. My heart goes out to those involved.

Jenny Beattie said...

It really is horrible. Reading news reports after the event is always disturbing - the humanity of the reports are horrible. People going on honeymoons, going off for a year's travelling, full of hope.

Someone at schools grandmother was killed, and another friend's daughter was due to be on the 'plane, but otherwise we didn't know anyone but still the stories of individuals are so sad.
JJx

Rebecca said...

glad you're safe Jen.

Jenny Beattie said...

Thanks, Rebecca.

JJx

jackofall said...

Sawatdii krap, you're not Neill's wife are you, by any chance?

I was out in Thailand last week, amazing country, not great circumstances (father died there 3 September), and I read about the crash when I came back. My father worked for an engineering company out there with offices in Bangkok and Phuket, in fact he and my mother lived in Phuket for 3 years, and I wondered if any staff might have been on board, but apparently they all get Sundays off so weren't likely to be flying.

So sad, nevertheless, for all those who did die or lose someone.

Jenny Beattie said...

Sawatdii Ka Jackofall. Sabai dii mai ka?

Thanks for coming by. No, I'm not Neil's wife. I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad (wasn't a car accident on Sukhumvit, was it?) Yeah, not great circumstances to see Thailand, but it is a fab place and despite all the difficulties for those that live here, they do remain and peaceful people.

I'll pop over to yours soon.
JJ