School bus catches fire in Thailand, 25 killed

Thailand: Thailand’s Transport Minister Suria Jungrungruengkit said at the scene that the bus was carrying 44 people and was traveling from central Utthai Thani province to Ayutthaya in Bangkok for a trip when it crashed in Pathum Thani province, a northern suburb of the capital, in the afternoon. The bus caught fire. Home Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said officials could not yet confirm the death toll because they had not completed investigating the scene. He told that the bus driver has survived but perhaps he has run away and has not been traced yet.

Video viral in social media

The video of school bus fire in Thailand is becoming increasingly viral on social media. In the video of the incident, it is seen that the bus is burning and a cloud of black smoke is coming out of it. Even several hours after the bus caught fire, bodies were still lying inside it. According to the information, the students traveling in the bus were from primary and junior high schools. 23 people are reported missing in the accident. These include three teachers and 20 students. Rescue workers and officials could not enter the bus for hours after it caught fire.

The dead bodies could not be identified

The dead bodies have still not been identified. Rescue workers said most of the bodies were found in the middle and rear seats of the bus, indicating that the fire had started in the front part of the bus. The bus was headed to Nonthaburi when it caught fire in the afternoon in Pathum Thani province, a northern suburb of Bangkok, Thai media reports and rescue workers said.

Fire broke out after a bus tire burst

A rescue worker present at the spot told Suriya that the fire was probably caused by a tire burst on the bus and then hitting a road barrier. Officials at Patrangsit Hospital, located near the incident site, said that three young women have been admitted to the hospital, one of whom has suffered burns to her face, mouth and eyes.

Prime Minister expressed grief

Prime Minister Paitongtarn Shinawatra expressed condolences in a post on social media platform ‘X’ and said that the government will bear the entire cost of treatment and compensate the families of the victims.