Update: Thai woman offers free accommodation to bus crash victims

The devastating bus crash that claimed 14 lives in Thailand moved a local woman to offer free accommodation to the victims’ relatives.

Thitinun Iamtua, also known as Nan, who hails from Huai Yang, was at the scene of the bus crash where she found a terrified young girl, Mali, who had been separated from her mother.

Nan explained that when she arrived at the site of the bus crash, she saw a young girl being held by a trailer driver. The girl, who introduced herself as Mali, was scared and calling out for her mother who was still inside the bus. Nan comforted Mali, who suffered minor injuries, telling her that her mother was being helped. Mali explained she was travelling with her mother and another woman named Fa.

In the chaos of the aftermath, it was impossible to identify Mali’s mother or where she might have been sitting on the bus. Nan tried to calm Mali by engaging her in conversation, successfully soothing the distraught child into periods of sleep despite the surrounding noise until officials arrived to take her to Thapsaka Hospital.

The bus crash was a significant tragedy, prompting Nan and her husband to help by offering free rooms at their family-run Ann Ann Thapsaka Hotel. The offer was made to relatives of the victims coming to claim bodies or visit the injured. So far, five to six rooms have been taken up by families from Phattalung, Hat Yai, and Phuket.

Nan praised the exemplary work of the rescue teams, noting that they worked tirelessly from almost 1am to nearly 5am to remove the final body from the wreckage. She thanked them on behalf of the victims for their efforts and ongoing support.

ORIGINAL STORY: Bus crash near Wanakorn Park claims 14 lives, injures 35

A fatal collision involving a Bangkok-Na Thawi tour bus claimed 14 lives and injured 35 today. The bus, registered under number 14-3301 hit a tree, splitting into two at Huai Yang, Thap Sakae, near the entrance to Wanakorn National Park.

At 1am, Anant Totuang, the Deputy Investigation Inspector of Huai Yang Police Station, Thap Sakae District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, responded to the accident. He was accompanied by medical teams from Thap Sakae Hospital, Prachuap Khiri Khan Hospital, and volunteers from the local rescue units.

The bus, with the number 9914-1 M.4K Bangkok – Na Thawi displayed on its side, was found at the side of Phetkasem Road. The front of the bus was firmly lodged against a tree, splitting the vehicle into two.

Numerous passengers lost their lives, with many more seriously injured and trapped inside the wreckage. Rescuers painstakingly removed the injured from the bus and administered first aid before rushing them to Thap Sakae Hospital and Prachuap Khiri Khan Hospital.

Preliminary reports indicate that the bus was carrying three staff members and 46 passengers from the southern bus terminal. It was en route to Na Thawi, Songkhla Province.

The bus had stopped for a meal break at Suphap Chon restaurant in Sam Roi Yot before continuing its journey. Upon reaching the entrance to Wanakorn National Park, the bus crashed into a tree.

The fatal collision resulted in 14 deaths and 35 injuries. The police are set to investigate the exact cause of the accident, and necessary legal proceedings will follow, reported Sanook.