Tragedy struck Thailand yesterday afternoon when a school bus carrying children on a field trip caught fire, leading to at least 23 deaths.
The fate of an additional two remain unconfirmed, reports the Bangkok Post.
Furthermore, the bus driver, who authorities had been searching for previously, has turned himself in. Police are looking to charge him with reckless driving as well as fleeing the scene.
According to a timeline from ThaiPBS, the initial accident occurred at 12.08pm.
In a police interrogation, Samarn Chankut, the 48-year-old driver, claimed he was driving at speeds of 70-80kph when he suddenly lost control of the vehicle. According to Thai news site Matichon, he said either the car had fallen into a hole or one of the tyres had exploded.
The bus then tilted right, side-swiping a Mercedes, and eventually ended up skidding against the road barrier. As previously reported by MS News, this is what authorities believe caused the natural gas inside the bus to ignite, causing the fire.
The driver went on to say that after he had escaped the fire, he ran out to get a fire extinguisher from one of the buses from his convoy. However, he fled to a relative’s house in a panic afterwards.
Mr Samarn eventually turned himself in to the police in Ang Thong and is now being held in Khu Khot police station in Pathum Thani, according to the Bangkok Post.
There had been reports that victims were trapped in the vehicle after the doors couldn’t be opened. However, teachers told police that some of them were able to escape via the emergency exit, indicating that the doors were functional, according to The Nation.
At around 12.22pm, the fire department received reports of the fire. They quickly arrived at the scene and were able to control the blaze in around 40 minutes.
Source: Fire & Rescue Thailand on Facebook
At 7.45pm, the Office of Police Forensic Science confirmed that at least 23 had perished in the fire. Of the 23, 11 were male, 7 were female, and an additional 5 were inconclusive.
Furthermore, the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital is now working to identify the remains using DNA. The hospital requested relatives to provide samples to help authorities identify the remains, according to The Nation.
The identification process is expected to be completed within three days.
All survivors from the bus fire have made it home to Uthai Thani safely, although three children remain hospitalised.
According to The Nation, two children remain in critical condition due to burns and smoke inhalation. They have been transferred from PatRangsit Hospital to Thammasat University Hospital for further treatment.
The third child suffered less severe injuries and has since been transferred to the Children’s Hospital.
Also read: At least 10 confirmed dead after fire consumes Thai school bus carrying children aged 6-15
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Featured image adapted from Khaosod English on Facebook and @KhaosodOnline on X.
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