The greatest pain parents ever experience is when their child leaves before them.
A bus carrying young students and their teachers caught fire during a school trip in suburban Bangkok, resulting in the tragic deaths of 20 students and 3 teachers. The bus had 45 passengers; 6 teachers and 39 students. They were traveling from Uthai Thani province when it ignited in Pathum Thani, a northern suburb of the capital.
The fire was reported around noon and extinguished within an hour. Rescuers could not enter the bus directly due to the intense heat and risk of further explosions from the natural gas fuel.
Based on the witness testimony, they said that the bus collided into a concrete barrier on the highway, which then quickly engulfed in flames after, trapping many passengers inside. Footage revealed the driver trying to put out the fire, but then fled the scene afterwards.
The driver, identified as Saman Chanput, turned himself in to the police Tuesday evening, several hours after the accident. He’s been charged with reckless driving that resulted in the deaths and injuries of his passengers, as well as failing to assist others and report the incident.
According to the driver’s statement, he was driving normally until the bus lost stability due to a problem with the front tire. It was believed the tire burst. This caused the bus to hit on the concrete barrier, creating sparks that ignited the fire. He claimed he attempted to get a fire extinguisher from another bus, but was unable to extinguish the flames. In panic, he fled the scene.
Research has shown Thailand is currently ranked to have one of the most dangerous streets in the world. Every year, 20,000 people are killed and a million injured in road accidents.
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