Body of Thai earthquake victim returned to mother in Chaiyaphum

The RTAF Airbus 300 was also carrying 36 Thai nationals evacuated from Turkey as it landed at Don Mueang Military Air Terminal 2, Wing 6 in Bangkok.

The evacuees were welcomed by RTAF commander-in-chief ACM Alongkorn Wannarot and Department of Consular Affairs director-general Ruj Thammongkol, according to a Foreign Ministry press release.

The evacuees underwent immigration procedures, disease screening and a physical examination, according to the ministry press release.

They were checked at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi before returning to their hometowns on Friday.

The body of the earthquake victim was transported by the Thai Red Cross Society back to her hometown in Chaiyaphum province.

Chamaiporn Homsantia, 28, was reportedly sleeping when the devastating 7.8-magnitude quake shook the southern Turkish town of Iskenderun, where she worked as a traditional Thai masseuse. Her body was found in the rubble after the hotel where she worked collapsed.    

Chamaiporn’s body was delivered to her parents' house at 2.04am on Friday for the funeral. Her mother, Boonchu Homsantia, thanked the Thai Red Cross Society, Department of Consular Affairs and other agencies for their help in returning her daughter’s remains. The cremation is scheduled for next Monday (February 20) at Wat Pa Samakkhi Tham.

Thailand's urban search and rescue (USAR) team have now completed their mission in Turkey and were due to touch down at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok onboard Turkish Airlines flight KT64 at 10am on Saturday.

The death toll from the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria rose to over 44,000 on Friday, with millions more affected in both countries.

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