Bus fire in Trat: 35 school children escape unharmed
A bus carrying 35 primary school students on a field trip caught fire, filling with smoke, but fortunately, no one was injured.
The incident occurred at 5.40pm yesterday, March 24, in Bo Rai district, Trat province. Local rescue units, along with municipal and subdistrict officials, responded to the fire on the bus travelling on the Khlong Aeng-Bo Rai road.
The bus, registered in Chanthaburi with the number 30-1710, had flames and thick smoke emanating from the rear. Emergency personnel and the driver extinguished the fire within 30 minutes. All students and seven teachers on board were unharmed.
The driver, 49 year old Methee, explained that he was transporting 35 sixth-grade students from Wat Bo Ploy Rat Rangsan Community School. They had just completed a field trip to Ao Thammachart in the Laem Ngop district and were returning to Bo Rai district. His bus was one of two on the journey.
While driving, students reported that the air conditioning was no longer cooling and noticed a burning smell from the back of the bus. Methee stopped to investigate and saw smoke billowing out.
He quickly opened all doors, including the emergency exits, to evacuate the students to safety before the fire spread. It is suspected that a short circuit in the air conditioner’s compressor fan caused the fire, reported KhaoSod.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the location of the incident was less than 10 kilometres from the school. Officials plan to assess the damage and develop preventive measures to avoid future incidents.
Last year, the death toll from a tragic bus fire on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Pathum Thani province, near Bangkok, rose to 25. The victims include 22 young students and three teachers.
According to a report by KhaoSod, the ill-fated bus was carrying 44 students, aged between three and nine, along with their dedicated teachers from Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam School in Uthai Thani.
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