Four 'seriously ill' Russians airlifted from Bangkok to Tyumen

A medical rescue flight to Thailand by the Emergencies Ministry brought home four Russian men to the Siberian city of Tyumen on Sunday. The Il-76 airliner equipped to handle medical emergencies was dispatched amid concern over the condition of the tourists. 

'An Il-76 airliner equipped with special medical modules has landed at the airport of Tyumen. On board were four Russian nationals, three of whom had fallen seriously ill while in Thailand, and one more had been injured on a holiday,' said a source, quoted by Itar-Tass. 

All four required medical help on the flight and on arrival in Tyumen were rushed under traffic police escort to city hospitals. 

Mystery remains over the cause of the illnesses and why a full scale airlift was required. Thailand is seen as having high quality hospitals. 

Alexander Glazov, chief of press the service of Tyumen Regional Emergency Service, told Tumix.ru portal that there 'were four people on board, two  from Tyumen region, two from the Far East' (of Russia). 

On board the flight, they received treatment from medics from the ministry' s aeromobile group Tsentrospas. Earlier it was reported that one of the four - who became ill in Thailand - 'needs further medical supervision and treatment at a clinic in Moscow'.

In the event, all were being treated in Tyumen. The Il-76 had departed on Saturday from Ramenskoye in Moscow region to Bangkok. 

The names of the patients were not disclosed. Medical sources cited medical confidentiality for not disclosing more details. 

Thailand has become a popular tourist destination for Russians in recent years.