Press release

Foreign Secretary saddened by plane crash in Laos

Foreign Secretary expresses his condolences following Lao Air Force plane crash.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

In reaction to the crash on 17 May, the Foreign Secretary William Hague said: 

I am deeply saddened to hear of the tragic crash of a Lao Air Force plane on 17 May in which four senior Lao government figures, and a number of others, have been killed, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Defence, Lt. General Douangchay Phichit, Public Security Minister, Thongban Saengphone, Mayor of Vientiane, Soukan Mahalat and Minister of the Government Office and Party Propaganda Chief, Chuang Sombounkham.

My deepest sympathies are with the Lao government, the families and friends of the deceased, and the Lao people at this difficult time.

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Published 18 May 2014