TWO YOUNG Indian men holidaying on Koh Samui died after losing control of their rented motorcycle while coming down Khao Pom hill then crashing onto the traffic barrier and tumbling down the hillside last evening, MNG Online said today (June 13).
Pol. Lt. Col. Udomsak Thappha, an inspector at Koh Samui police station, rushed to the site of the accident which is known to be dangerous with some fatal accidents having already occurred here together with a doctor from Koh Samui Hospital, Air Force officers and rescuers.
At this dangerous curve on Thupatemi road, or the road up Khao Pom hill, they found the two tourists, identified as Mr. Vinay Dutt Kaushik, 35, and Mr. Dhruv Tripathi, 34, dead at the hillside. Their rented motorcycle had overturned by the roadside with marks of its red paint seen on the traffic barrier.
Their bodies were taken to Koh Samui Hospital for autopsy and the Indian Embassy notified.
Police said the two men had arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on June 11 and were scheduled to return to India on June 25. They were staying at a hotel in Mae Nam subdistrict.
Eyewitnesses said the two tourists were coming down hill and passing an Air Force base to reach the main road. However when they reached this sharp bend the rider tried to brake but it seemed he was unable to stop or slow down the automatic transmission motorbike leading to a loss of control and crashing at the traffic barrier and falling down the hillside where they hit electric poles and trees leading to their death.
Mr. Santichon Ruangthong, a volunteer at Koh Samui Rescue Foundation, said the spot where the accident took place is under the jurisdiction of the Air Force which has posted warning signs at several points because of the high risk of travelling through this dangerous stretch of the road,
He urged relevant authorities and car and motorcycle rental companies to warn tourists about the danger of going up and down hills and steep slopes, particularly this spot where some tourists have died in the past.
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The spot where the two Indian tourists died last evening. Photos: MNG Online
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