I WAS on a break last week - in Koh Samui, Thailand. I flew Bangkok Airways direct.
So imagine my shock when news broke about two hours ago that a Bangkok Airways flight veered off the runway at Koh Samui's airport and crashed into a disused building - flight control? firefighting building? - due to bad weather.
At the time of this blog entry, one is confirmed dead: The pilot. Several are injured.
I'm, however, told by the husband of my friend who runs a resort there that hospitals are calling for blood donors of all types. Hopefully, that's just a precaution and not an indication that more casualties are to come.
My friend is currently on her way down to the hospitals with some of her staff members to see if there's any way they can help - donating blood or otherwise.
Source: AP
It just goes to show: When it's time for you to go, it's time for you to go.
All the precautions in the world against natural disasters, viruses and other uncontrollable elements just aren't going to save you.
It could have easily been us.
ST Photo: Joanne Lee
There I was, in Changi's Terminal One and later on the Samui-bound flight, trying to avoid getting too close to other travellers in case of contracting H1N1, wiping my passport down with wet wipes and using my hand sanitiser religiously.
My paranoia is probably semi-inherited from my mother, who till this day is afraid that a tsunami will hit every time we head off for regional beach holidays.
Thankfully, as far as my family is concerned, nothing's happened to any of us on any of our travels. We check out the terrain where we stay so we know where the high ground is, where the emergency exits are, etc.
This time, obviously, the main worry was H1N1. Now, however, my at-the-time careful H1N1-preventive measures taken when I was flying last week seem silly in the face of this latest tragedy.
In fact, I feel downright guilty that I'm okay given that I take air travel so lightly and never pay attention to flight safety videos when they are aired. If it were me on the plane today, I wonder how I would have reacted in the face of panic and mayhem.
Bangkok Airways is holding a press conference as I post this entry, let's hope there are no further casualties.
Read the update on the situation here: Thai jet skids, pilot dead.