Three British Red Cross delegates are flying to Thailand today to provide psychosocial support to British citizens affected by a fatal plane crash in Phuket.On Sunday
16 September One-Two-Go flight OG269 crashed on landing at Phuket airport. Of the 123 passengers and seven crew onboard, an estimated 88 people died and many more were hospitalised. It is believed
that British nationals may be among the dead and injured. The delegates are flying to Thailand at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which is responsible for providing
consular support to Britons overseas. The British Red Cross has fully trained volunteers on permanent standby to offer prompt support to people affected by tragedies overseas.Support in
PhuketThe team members going today are Carol Leeds, Jo Parkin, and Pam Williamson. They will fly direct to Bangkok and get a connecting flight to Phuket if the airport has been
reopened.Team leader Carol Leeds, from Sandy in Bedfordshire, said: "We will be offering practical and emotional support to people affected by the plane crash, whether for those who have been
injured or people who may have lost loved ones. This can involve everything from listening to people who are experiencing trauma to letting survivors' relatives in the UK know that they are safe and
well." Pam Williamson, a therapist from Wimbledon who volunteers with the British Red Cross, stated: "In my job as a therapist I specialise in helping vulnerable people deal with trauma
and bereavement and I will be using these skills in Thailand." The British Red Cross has previously sent psychosocial support teams to Thailand after the tsunami and Ethiopia when four British
embassy staff were kidnapped in March 2007.Donate to the British Red CrossWork for us overseasRead more overseas news
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
