Bangkok, Thailand – A tragic incident unfolded as a bus carrying primary school children crashed and caught fire outside of Bangkok, resulting in the devastating loss of 20 young lives and three teachers. The children had been returning from a school trip to the north of Thailand when the accident occurred.
Videos captured the horrific scene as flames engulfed the bus under an overpass, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky. The bus driver, who fled the scene initially, surrendered to police authorities located 100 kilometers north of Bangkok, according to reports.
With distraught family members visiting the crash site, the aftermath of the tragedy revealed the driver’s attempt to put out the fire before fleeing. Witnesses described how the bus collided with a concrete barrier after a front tire blew out, leading to a rapid and intense fire that trapped many passengers inside.
As emergency responders worked to recover bodies from the charred wreckage, authorities disclosed that 19 children and three teachers survived the ordeal, with several individuals receiving treatment for injuries in the hospital. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, while Transport Minister Suriyahe Juangroongruangkit highlighted concerns over the use of compressed natural gas in the bus, deeming it “extremely risky.”
Lead investigator Piyalak Thinkaew noted the challenges in identifying the badly burnt bodies, especially of the younger victims, explaining how the fire primarily engulfed the front of the bus, prompting the children to move towards the back in an attempt to escape.
The tragedy has sparked discussions on road safety in Thailand, a country plagued by approximately 20,000 fatalities annually due to unsafe vehicles and poor driving practices. Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading up to the crash, including analyzing tire marks, fire patterns, and CCTV footage to determine the sequence of events that led to the devastating outcome.