A tragic accident in Thailand has left 23 people dead, including kindergarten teachers and students, after a school bus caught fire during a school trip.
The accident occurred around 12.30pm local time on a highway in Pathum Thani province, just north of Bangkok. The students were from a school in Uthai Thani province and were traveling to Nonthaburi province.
The bus was carrying a total of 45 people, including 38 students aged between 6 and 15, 6 teachers and the bus driver. Of the people on board, 21 managed to escape, while the remaining 23 people have yet to be found. Authorities suspect they may have died in the fire, as many are not yet identified.
Police believe the fire likely broke out after the bus’ left front tire burst, hitting a center divider. The friction may have sparked a fire that spread to the bus’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank, causing a deadly explosion.
More than 10 bodies were found at the scene near the rear exit of the bus. Due to the severity of the fire, many of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and authorities are still working to confirm the total number of victims.
Those injured in the fire were treated at local hospitals, with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visiting the injured and offering condolences to the families of the victims.
The bus driver survived the accident but fled soon after the fire broke out. Police are currently trying to locate him as part of their investigation into the causes of the accident.
At least 23 people died in Thailand when a school bus carrying more than 40 students and teachers on a field trip caught fire on the outskirts of the capital Bangkok, police said on Tuesday.
COURTESY: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
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— GMA Integrated News (@gmanews) October 1, 2024
Images and videos from the scene, showing the bus engulfed in flames, quickly spread on social media. After the fire was extinguished, the bus was left charred, with only the chassis remaining.
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