Northeast Thailand bus crash leaves students injured, driver dead

A bus crash on Si Kew-Chaiyaphum Road near Nakhon Ratchasima on Friday left 47 students and teachers injured and the driver dead.

The bus crash occurred at approximately 10.30pm, with the vehicle carrying 39 students and 12 staff members on a field trip from Chaiyaphum province to the revered Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok met with tragedy.

Eyewitnesses recounted a heart-stopping scene as the bus, hurtling through the night, collided violently with a sugarcane-laden truck that encroached into its lane.

Tragically, the 41 year old bus driver, Abhisit Boonyotha, passed away in the accident while the passengers, students ranging from nine to 11 years old, suffered injuries varying in severity. Swift action saw all injured individuals swiftly transported to Dan Khun Thot Hospital for urgent medical care.

This disaster draws eerie parallels to a previous incident in Sukhothai, where a similar crash, occurring late at night, resulted in two fatalities and over 40 injuries. Questions now swirl as to the wisdom of embarking on such nocturnal journeys, especially when regulations set by the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC) expressly forbid student transport after dark, reported Bangkok Post.

In the wake of this tragedy, demands for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this fateful nighttime excursion have surged.

In related news, a tour bus en route from Chiang Mai to Bangkok met with a severe accident on Friday, ramming into the back of a trailer truck, leaving passengers injured, two critically. The incident unfolded near Ban Tak District Hospital in Tak province, prompting an immediate emergency response.

In other news, a pilgrimage bus met a tragic fate on Thursday as it descended from the Khao Kitchakut mountain in Chanthaburi province, veering off course and overturning. The calamitous incident claimed the life of one individual and left nine others with injuries, including three foreigners. The accident occurred close to a toll station when the bus, filled with worshippers returning from a sacred site, lost control on a curve and capsized.