Bus-ted: Driver in bus blaze tragedy jailed, previous accidents shared

Police denied a bail request from the driver involved in the bus blaze tragedy that claimed the lives of 23 people in Pathum Thani. He was detained at Thanyaburi Provincial Court.

A school director and student from the central province of Uthai Thani came forward to share details of previous accidents involving the same bus company.

The driver, 48 year old Saman Chanphut, was refused bail and will remain in custody at the court until the next hearing. Officers stated that Saman had a history of fleeing, so no temporary release would be granted.

Saman reportedly revealed more details of the accident to the police that he heard a noise from the vehicle’s piston but continued driving until the tragic incident occurred. Saman faces five charges including:

• Section 291 of the Criminal Law: Negligence causing death. The penalty is imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to 200,000 baht.
• Section 300 of the Criminal Law: Negligence causing serious injury. The penalty is imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both.
• Section 390 of the Criminal Law: Negligence causing injury. The penalty is imprisonment for up to one month and a fine of up to 1,000 baht, or both.
• Section 43(4) of the Land Transport Act: Reckless driving that could harm others. The penalty is a fine of between 400 and 1,000 baht.
• Sections 78 and 160 of the Land Transport Act: Failing to provide appropriate assistance after causing harm to others or damage to property while driving. The penalty is imprisonment for up to three months, a fine between 2,000 and 10,000 baht, or both.

Police and relevant law enforcement officials have not yet confirmed whether the mentioned piston played any role in the incident. The cause of the tragic event remains under investigation.

Upon further inspection of the vehicle, officers discovered 11 NGV gas tanks, of which only six were legally installed.

One of the rescuers, who helped inspect the vehicle alongside police, posted on social media, stating that he had never seen such reckless gas tank installation. Some of the tanks were installed inside the bus, endangering both the driver and passengers if there was a gas leak.

The vehicle’s owner, Songwit Shinnabut, declined to give an interview about the illegal gas tank installation but insisted he would take full responsibility for the incident.

Repeated accidents

A director from another school in Uthai Thani posted on Facebook yesterday, October 2, exposing the bus company’s recklessness. He revealed that another bus driver from the same company fell asleep at the wheel and collided with a truck on a motorway on February 11, 2017.

In that accident, 10 of the 40 students travelling were injured. The driver did the same as Saman, fleeing the scene after the crash. The emergency exit could not be opened and teachers had to evacuate students through a broken window.

A schoolgirl from Uthai Thani, who went on a school trip using the same bus, also shared her distressing experience with the media. She said the bus had brake system issues during the trip, covering the whole car with smoke and a burning smell.

The student added that her school had used the company’s services just three months earlier for a trip to Chon Buri. During that trip, the bus’s tyre burst, leaving them stranded for two hours before another bus from the company arrived to pick them up.

UPDATE 3: Ancient bus and outdated gas tanks blamed in deadly bus blaze

An investigation into the bus blaze that claimed the lives of 23 people in Pathum Thani yesterday revealed that the vehicle was first registered 54 years ago and its NGV gas tanks were 15 years old. A further investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

The tragic incident, which claimed the lives of 23 students and teachers from the central province of Uthai Thani on a road in Pathum Thani, raised questions about the age and condition of the coach bus. Many netizens suspected that the bus was old and may not have been functioning properly.

Following an investigation into the vehicle, it was revealed that the bus was first registered with the Land Transport Department in 1970 in the central province of Singburi.

The engine was changed from Isuzu to a Mercedes-Benz with eight cylinders and 280 horsepower. The bus weighed 14,300 kilogrammes and could carry up to 41 passengers.

This registration information shocked many netizens, who thought the vehicle had been in use for 54 years. However, the bus owner, Songwit Shinnabut, told Thai PBS that he retained only the chassis of the vehicle and replaced other parts before registering the bus with the same chassis number.

There was no report on how long the bus was modified or how long the Mercedes-Benz engine was in use.

Illegal installation of NGV tanks

In addition to the old chassis, the NGV tanks used in the vehicle were also old, having been in service for over 15 years. According to the Land Transport Department, an NGV tank has a useful life of approximately 15 years.

The Singburi Provincial Land Transport Office insisted that the NGV tanks on this bus would expire in 2026, not 2024. However, an explosion from the NGV tanks was still possible, and investigating officers urged the public to await the conclusion of the investigation.

In addition to concerns about the expiration of the NGV tanks, the Police Forensic Science Office discovered that the bus was approved to install three NGV gas tanks.

The bus owner, Songwit, insisted that his bus passed safety inspections twice a year in accordance with Land Transport Department regulations. All his coach buses were insured, and each NGV tank had a safety system that would respond in the event of an accident.

Officers have not yet concluded the cause of the accident, and the investigation is ongoing.

King and Queen mourn victims

As of the latest update this afternoon, October 2, officers successfully identified 17 of the deceased. It is expected that the process will be completed by the end of today. The bodies will be transferred to a temple in Uthai Thani for the funeral.

The group of students and teachers who survived the incident have already returned to their home province. Three students remain under medical care, one at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health and two at Thammasat University Hospital.

The two victims, aged seven and nine years old, at Thammasat University Hospital are in critical condition. They sustained burn injuries across their bodies and have blurred vision.

His Majesty King Rama X and Her Majesty Queen Suthida expressed their concern and sorrow over the incident. They accepted the injured victims under their royal patronage, providing them with care and support during this difficult time.

Thai PBS reported that 10 families of the victims requested mental health consultations, and 71 medical workers from Police General Hospital will visit them in their home province.

UPDATE 2: Thai bus blaze driver turns himself in after fiery escape

The driver behind the wheel in yesterday’s tragic bus blaze in Pathum Thani province turned himself in after initially fleeing from the devastating fire. He sought refuge at a relative’s home. A survival teacher defended the bus driver saying he made efforts to save all the victims before fleeing in a panic.

The tragic incident occurred at around 12pm yesterday, October 1, when a fire broke out on a coach carrying 44 students and teachers on a field trip. The students, aged between three and 14 years old, were visiting Ayutthaya Historical Park and were travelling to another destination in Nonthaburi when the fire occurred.

It was reported that a tyre on the bus burst, causing the driver to lose control and crash into a traffic barrier. Sparks from the collision ignited a fire that engulfed the vehicle. Reports state that between 23 and 25 students and teachers lost their lives in the blaze, while 19 others managed to survive, with some sustaining severe injuries.

Three injured students were admitted to PatRangsit Hospital, with two of them in critical condition. Doctors informed DailyNews that one young girl suffered burns to her face, eyes, mouth, and right arm. She was struggling to breathe and at risk of losing her sight.

Public sentiment was further stirred when the lifeless body of a teacher, Kanokwan Sriphong, was found in the vehicle, clutching a young student in her arms in a final act of protection. Netizens praised her for shielding her student from the flames until her final moments.

Two other teachers who perished in the incident were Pimthong Sombat and Saranya Homkasem. The list of deceased students includes:

• Seven years old students: Teerapong, Patinya, and Atchara
• Nine year old students: Nattaphong, Peeraphat, Ong-art, Archawin, and Titipa
• Ten year old students: Chakrit, Nataphat, Thanakrit, Bowonsak, and Ritthawat
• 14 year old students: Sirinat and Kritsada
• 15 year old students: Parnnarin, Pimchanok, Sunisa, and Pirachat

Driver helps before fleeing

Eight other students narrowly escaped danger, who had signed up for the field trip but did not attend due to illness or urgent matters.

The bus driver, later identified as 48 year old Saman Chanphut, was not present at the scene when the emergency services arrived. Saman reportedly fled after the fire, prompting widespread condemnation from netizens for his perceived reckless actions.

However, the news Facebook page Esor News later shared a video showing Saman, wearing a striped shirt and carrying a red fire extinguisher, attempting to extinguish the fire. This video corroborated his claim that he tried to save the victims.

A teacher who survived the incident also insisted that the bus driver tried to help before he disappeared from the scene.

Following public pressure, Saman eventually turned himself in at Wiset Chai Chan Police Station in the central province of Ang Thong last night. Officers immediately transferred him to Khu Khot Police Station, which is handling the case, for questioning and legal proceedings.

Saman claimed that he been driving the bus at around 70 to 80 kilometres per hour when he felt one of the wheels fall into a hole in the road. He was unsure whether it was the tyre or the air spring that burst but he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer to the right and collide with a Mercedes-Benz sedan.

According to Saman, he attempted to regain control after the crash but failed. The bus then hit a traffic barrier, and the fire broke out. Saman said he exited the vehicle to retrieve fire extinguishers from two other buses to put out the fire.

Saman stated that the fire became more intense, causing him to panic and flee the scene. He hid at a relative’s house in Ang Thong before deciding to turn himself in.

Saman initially faces two charges:

• Section 291 of the Criminal Law: negligence causing death. The penalty for this offence is imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to 200,000 baht.
• Section 78 and 160 of the Land Transport Act: failing to provide assistance as appropriate after causing damage to other people or their properties while driving. The penalty is imprisonment of up to three months, a fine from 2,000 to 1,000 baht, or both.

UPDATE 1: Death toll in bus blaze tragedy rises to 25, 22 students, 3 teachers

The death toll from a devastating bus blaze tragedy today on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok has soared to 25. Among the victims were 22 young students and three teachers.

According to a grim update by KhaoSod, the ill-fated coach was packed with 44 students, aged between three and nine, along with their devoted teachers from Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam School in Uthai Thani. The group was eagerly heading to a field trip to Ayutthaya Historical Park and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand Learning Centre in Nonthaburi.

Disaster struck when a tyre burst mid-journey, causing the driver to lose control of the bus. The vehicle then careened into a traffic barrier in the right lane, igniting a catastrophic fire that would claim the lives of so many.

The media reported that the students from the school were travelling in three separate buses, and the fire broke out on bus number 3.

After extinguishing the fire, rescuers examined the bus and discovered the tragic sight of more than 10 victims lying lifeless near the emergency exits and other car doors.

Initially, Thai news agencies reported that 10 students lost their lives in the incident, 19 others managed to escape, while 15 remained missing.

The latest update from KhaoSod at around 2pm revealed that 25 victims were killed in the bus fire, including 22 students and three teachers. Their ages and identities have not yet been disclosed. There has been no report regarding the coach driver.

PM breaks down in tears.

A surviving teacher told KhaoSod that she tried to evacuate each student but the doors would not open leaving many students and teachers trapped inside the vehicle.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra reportedly broke down in tears upon hearing the news after a parliamentary meeting. She later cancelled her schedule and planned to visit the hospital to meet the victims. PM Paetongtarn shared on her X (Twitter) account…

“I am aware of the fire on the bus from Uthai Thani, which was carrying students on a field trip when the fire broke out on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, near Bangkok, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.

As a mother, I want to express my deepest condolences to the families of the injured and deceased. As the head of the government, I assigned Anutin Charnvirakul, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, and Sabida Thaiseth to rush to the scene. The government will ensure that all medical treatment and compensation for the affected families are fully provided.”

One family, whose eight year old son Ong-art Jaisaen was on the trip, came forward to urge ThaiRath to share a missing poster of the boy, as they were desperate to know if he was safe. Many netizens sent their wishes for his safe return and hoped he would soon be reunited with his family.

ORIGINAL STORY: BREAKING: 10 Thai kindergarten students killed in bus blaze

Ten kindergarten students tragically lost their lives, and many others were injured, after a fire broke out on a coach during a school field trip outside Zeer Rangsit mall on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Pathum Thani province, near Bangkok.

The blaze, which erupted on the coach at around 12.20pm today, October 1, was reported by the Facebook page Fire & Rescue Thailand. The ill-fated bus was carrying enthusiastic students from Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam School in the central province of Uthai Thani, aged between four and five years old.

The group was en route to a highly anticipated field trip when disaster struck. Of the 42 teachers and pupils on board, only 19 managed to escape the inferno in time.

Firefighters from the Hongskul Khlong Luang 21 Rescue Foundation swiftly closed the road and battled the fierce flames. Although the blaze has now been brought under control, rescuers have yet to inspect the interior of the bus for safety reasons.

According to a report from KhaoSod, ten kindergarten students were pronounced dead at the scene, and many others were injured. The identities and ages of the victims have not yet been disclosed.

The Facebook news page Ton News, also known as Khon Khao Prakan, reported at about 1.10pm that six injured victims were rushed to the hospital.

KhaoSod added that the students were on their way to the Ayutthaya Historical Park in the central province of Ayutthaya and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand Learning Centre in the central province of Nonthaburi.

It is believed the cause of the fire was sparked when a tyre burst, making the bus crash into a traffic barrier.

More news when we get it.

In related news, a fire erupted at a work camp behind the Government Savings Bank in Phuket yesterday leading to a swift response from local officials.

Police and firefighters were alerted to the incident around 11.14am, yesterday, September 30, by Samphan Somsakon, the owner of the house where the fire originated. Samphan explained that he had been charging a power bank inside the house and had stepped outside to rest in a nearby hut.

Shortly after, a loud noise emanated from inside the house. Upon investigation, Samphan discovered the house was engulfed in flames. Despite his efforts to douse the fire with water, it spread rapidly, prompting him to call for help.