Irish tourists survive plane crash

At least three Irish tourists survived a plane crash in Thailand today, which killed and injured more than 100 people, according to a partial list of survivors released by the Thai Ministry of Public Health.

A total of 123 passengers - mostly foreign tourists - and five crew members were on board the budget One-Two-Go Airlines domestic flight from Bangkok, which crashed in bad weather on the country's tourist island of Phuket.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said its representatives have spoken with two survivors and passed details to their families at home, but could not confirm further details at this time.

One Irish passenger told a Thai news channel: "I was in the middle [of the plane]. I was in row 18. The plane was on fire but I managed to get through."

Thai authorities said the plane was filled with tourists from Australia, Austria, Britain, Iran, Italy and the Netherlands.

It is believed it split into two parts after it crashed due to bad weather and skidded off the runway.

Two Department of Foreign Affairs officials, one from the embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the other from the honorary consul in Phuket, are at the scene.