Thai tour bus accident kills five, including French tourist

Five people including a French tourist were killed when a tour bus overturned Wednesday en route to a beach resort in southern Thailand, police said.

Chumphon Police Colonel Narudaet Ingkhajan identified the French casualty as Delphine Jofette Raene Kiesser, 23.

Sixteen passengers including six foreign tourists were hospitalized with injuries, among them one British man who lost his leg in the crash, Narudaet said.

The accident occurred about 4 am on the highway to Chumphon, 380 kilometres south of Bangkok.

"We think the accident was caused by a tyre blowout," Narudaet said.

The driver fled the scene.//DPA