Indonesian tourists and driver dodge fire disaster on coach (video)

Fifty Indonesian tourists and a Thai driver last night safely escaped from a fire that broke out on a coach bus parked on a road in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima.

The fire was reported to Pak Chong Police Station and firefighters yesterday, October 16, at about 7.40pm. The incident occurred on a coach bus parked on the Old Friendship Road in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Upon arrival, officers found the blaze severely damaged the middle and rear of the bus, filling the area with thick black smoke. Three fire engines and firefighters spent about 30 minutes extinguishing the flames.

The bus driver, 46 year old Apichart, told police and the news outlet KomChadLuek that he was transporting 50 Indonesian tourists from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima and stopped at the scene so the passengers could dine at a nearby restaurant.

After all the tourists had exited the vehicle, the fire unexpectedly broke out at the back of the bus, prompting bystanders to help Apichart tackle the flames. While much of the vehicle was damaged, the tourists’ luggage and belongings were left untouched.

Officers are still unable to identify the cause of the fire, as this red-black Scania coach uses petrol as fuel, and the engine remains undamaged.

Police later transported the Indonesian tourists to a hotel in the province using vans, allowing them to continue their trip the following day.

One of the most tragic bus accidents occurred at the beginning of this month when a fire broke out on a coach bus of students and teachers during their field trip. The blaze killed 23 teachers and students aged between three and 14.

Incidents involving coach buses continued to make headlines following the fatal fire earlier. Another bus accident occurred on October 14 in Nakhon Pathom when a coach collided with a 12-wheel truck, leaving 31 university students injured.

On the same day, another coach carrying Malaysian tourists crashed into a semi-trailer truck in the southern province of Songkhla, injuring 17 Malaysian tourists and a Thai tour guide.