More than 20 children feared dead in Thailand bus crashon October 1, 2024 at 9:33 am

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

The bus was returning from a field trip when it crashed and caught fire just outside Bangkok.

Reuters Firefighters work to extinguish a burned out school busReuters

A bus carrying dozens of primary school children has crashed and caught fire just outside the Thai capital Bangkok.

Sixteen children and three teachers are reported to have escaped, but 22 pupils and three teachers are still unaccounted for, according to the country’s transport minister.

Officials say they have found ten bodies on the bus, according to the BBC Thai service.

Photographs show the bus completely destroyed by the fire. Investigators are said to have been unable to enter the vehicle because of the heat, according to local media.

The bus was one of three that were carrying children and teachers returning from a school field trip in the northern province of Uthai Thani.

Transport Minister Suriyahe Juangroongruangkit said the bus was powered by compressed natural gas.

“This is a very tragic incident,” Mr Suriyahe told reporters at the scene.

“The ministry must find a measure… if possible, for passenger vehicles like this to be banned from using this type of fuel because it’s extremely risky,” he added.

Thailand’s prime minister, meanwhile, has ordered ministers to visit the scene.

“As a mother, I would like to express my deepest regrets to the families of those killed,” Paetongtarn Shinawatra said.

“The government will be responsible for all the medical costs and the compensation for those killed,” she added.

The bus was travelling on a highway into Bangkok when a tyre burst, sending it crashing into a barrier, a rescue worker said in footage broadcast on local television.

Video footage from the scene showed flames engulfing the bus as it burned under an overpass, huge clouds of dense black smoke billowing into the sky.

The driver has fled the site of the crash but authorities are confident he will be tracked down, according to Thailand’s Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who spoke to reporters at the scene.

It is not clear what age the children on board were, but the school has pupils between three and 15 years old.

Thailand has one of the worst road safety records in the world, with unsafe vehicles and poor driving contributing to roughly 20,000 fatalities a year.

- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Cambridge organist Anna Lapwood appointed MBEon December 29, 2023 at 10:40 pm

Anna Lapwood has also introduced her 690,000 TikTok followers to organ music.Anna Lapwood has also introduced her 690,000 TikTok followers to organ music.

Thilo Kehrer: West Ham sign Germany defender from Paris St-Germainon August 17, 2022 at 12:43 pm

West Ham sign Germany defender Thilo Kehrer from Paris St-Germain on a four-year contract.West Ham sign Germany defender Thilo Kehrer from Paris St-Germain on...

Golden Globes crisis: Tom Cruise returns awards and NBC drops ceremonyon May 11, 2021 at 10:14 am

Tom Cruise hands back three gongs and the crisis-hit awards are without a broadcaster for next year.image copyrightFrank TrapperTom Cruise has handed back his...

Mnuchin seeks $250 billion more in small business aid, as Senate vote is planned for Thursday

KEY POINTS Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he has spoken with congressional leaders to secure an additional $250 billion for the small business loan...

Is Feminism Inherent To Feminism?

This is not your traditional recap of what you just read! Rather, this is a sequel to the interview that I conducted with comedian...