South Thailand: Fatal crash in Chumphon kills two Indian tourists

A collision in Tha Sae district of Chumphon led to the deaths of two Indian tourists and severe injuries to five others, including four Indian nationals and a Thai driver, today, December 9.

The ill-fated van they were travelling in crashed into the back of a truck, leading to this catastrophic event.

The crash took place near the kilometre marker 476+100 on Phetkasem Road, heading towards Bangkok in the area of Na Kratai. Tha Sae station Deputy Investigation Chief Theeraporn Khongnuan received the report around 1am.

Following the report, police, medics, and rescue workers were dispatched to the accident scene. Upon arrival, they found a 10-wheel truck with Nakhon Pathom plates parked at a U-turn. The truck, driven by 32 year old Kraisorn Klinsawang from Prachuap Khiri Khan, had minor damages to its left side.

About 150 metres away from the truck, a severely damaged Toyota van, which bore Phuket licence plates, had flipped over into a roadside ditch. The van occupants, four Indian passengers and a Thai driver, identified as 50 year old Nirot (surname withheld), were found in a grave state, prompting immediate transfer to two nearby hospitals, reported Bangkok Post.

Two other male passengers were found dead, trapped within the van’s wreckage. The rescue team had to employ cutting tools to retrieve their bodies. The deceased, aged 25 and 28, were Indian tourists.

The preliminary inquiry indicated that the van, carrying 10 foreign passengers, was en route from Hat Yai district in Songkhla to Bangkok. The accident transpired when the 10-wheel truck moved to the right lane to make a U-turn, leading to the van crashing into its back. The impact resulted in the van driver losing control, causing the vehicle to overturn and plummet into the ditch.

The investigation is ongoing as the police aim to ascertain the exact cause of the crash. They intend to question the van driver, the injured passengers and the truck driver as part of their investigation.