Driver escapes unscathed after bus catches fire in central Thailand
A dangerous fire broke out on a bus travelling on the Asian Highway in the central province of Ang Thong. Fortunately, the bus had no passengers, and the driver managed to escape unscathed.
Officers from Mueang Ang Thong Police Station coordinated with the Ban It Sub-district Administration Office to dispatch a fire engine to the Asian Highway at about 6pm yesterday, November 28, after receiving a report of the fire.
According to the police report, officers noticed smoke coming from a blue coach parked in the left lane of the road. The bus driver, 39 year old Narongsri, and other motorists were attempting to control the blaze with fire extinguishers.
A team of firefighters arrived and managed to extinguish the fire within 20 minutes. Parts of the bus’s windows were broken to release the smoke.
Narongsri informed the police that he was driving the empty bus from Chiang Mai province to Sattahip district in Chon Buri province to pick up military students who had just completed special training in the area.
Upon arriving at the scene, Narongsri detected an unpleasant smell, so he parked the bus and got out to investigate. He noticed a fire on the interior ceiling at the back of the vehicle. The blaze gradually spread to the seat beneath it, prompting Narongsri to use a fire extinguisher.
Channel 7 reported that the fire started near the emergency door at the rear of the bus, close to the compartment where the air-conditioning units were installed. It is suspected that an electrical fault in one of the air-conditioning units may have caused the fire.
Some parents of the military students shared their reactions on social media after learning about the incident. One mother remarked that her son was lucky to narrowly escape the fire since he and his classmates had not yet boarded the bus.
The mother expressed that no one wanted to recall the tragic bus fire on October 1, which claimed the lives of Thai students and teachers, but she urged people not to forget the incident.
She emphasised that coach operators and other stakeholders must take the matter seriously and work towards sustainable solutions to prevent such incidents in the future.
