Myanmar labourers killed in Tak road crash: Illegal worker transportation suspected
A severe road accident in the northern Tak province claimed the lives of five labourers from Myanmar and left 12 others wounded. The crash took place at Tak main city junction on Phahonyothin Road today at 4am. The collision was between a six-wheeled Isuzu truck, registration 74-4144 Samut Prakan, and a Toyota pickup truck with the registration plate บล4295 Kamphaeng Phet.
The trucks were so badly damaged that rescue workers from different units had to use cutting tools to disentangle the injured and those who lost their lives. There were four bodies on the tarmac at the scene, with one more casualty reported inside the pickup truck. According to initial investigations, the latter vehicle was found to be transporting illegal foreign labourers, likely from Myanmar.
The Isuzu truck driver, 26 year old Chaturong (surname withheld), told police that he was en route from Phitsanulok to Mae Sot in Tak, transporting goods. According to him, the accident occurred due to a fleeting moment of sleep, when he failed to see the rapidly advancing pickup truck. He recollected the state of panic as events unfolded quickly, but he could not remember the traffic signals.
Meanwhile, the pickup truck was occupied by 16 passengers, reported KhaoSod.
An officer from Tak City Police Station said investigations suggest the pickup truck was carrying illegal immigrants from Myanmar travelling to the eastern Chon Buri province. Among the dead was a man between 25 to 30 year olds, believed to be the pickup driver. Among the injured, there were eight males and four females. All wounded were promptly transferred to Somdet Phrachao Taksin Maharat Hospital in Tak province.
The police are further investigating the exact cause behind the terrible accident.
In another terrible crash yesterday, a lorry plunged into a house and hit a retired school director who was out for a walk, causing fatal injuries, in a village in southern Thailand. Read the full story HERE.
