British family in tourist plane crash that killed three in Burma
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A British family of four have had a very lucky escape after surviving a plane crash that killed three in Burma.
The flight from Mandalay came down in a ball of flames in thick fog on a road two miles short of the runway at Heho airport, near the popular tourist destination of Lake Inle.
It is unclear exactly what caused the crash but, according to the Guardian, one report suggests the pilot was attempting to land the Air Bagan plane in thick fog and may have thought the road was the runway.
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But the paper said the airline had a different story, saying: "The plane hit electrical cables about a mile from Heho airport as it descended and landed in rice fields".
It said the plane burst into flames two minutes after most of the passengers were safely evacuated by the crew.
An 11-year-old child on board was killed, along with a tour guide and a cyclist who was on the ground when the plane hit.
It is thought the father of the British family on board was slightly injured, but his injuries are not life threatening.
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According to The Sun, the airline said there had been an "emergency landing" and that two Americans, two Britons and one Korean man were among those taken to hospital in nearby Taunggyi.
Air Bagan spokesman Ye Min Oo told the Daily Telegraph that the two pilots were also amongst those taken to hospital, adding: "The cause of the accident is not clear yet. Only the pilots will know the cause, but we can't contact them yet as they have been sent to hospital."
The Christmas Day flight was carrying more than 63 people, 51 of whom were foreign tourists.
Burma has recently seen a huge surge in tourism after emerging from decades of military junta rule. The demand in air travel is stretching its aviation facilities, and the Department of Civil Aviation has warned that is main terminal, Yangon International Airport, urgently needs upgrading.
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