On October 1st, a school bus carrying multiple students and teachers caught fire in the outskirts of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, resulting in at least 23 fatalities.
Forensic experts confirmed the discovery of 23 bodies. An investigation into the accident is currently underway to determine the cause of the fire.
The Thai Ministry of Transport stated that 16 students and 3 teachers were taken to hospitals for treatment, as the school bus that caught fire was powered by natural gas.
Images from social media and local news reports depicted thick grey smoke billowing out of the school bus, with parts of the vehicle still engulfed in flames.
Local fire department received the alarm around noon, and the blaze was extinguished in less than an hour. However, rescue personnel indicated that due to the high temperature inside the gas-fueled vehicle, further explosions could be possible, making it unsafe to approach for several hours.
Kittirat Phanphet, Acting Chief of Bangkok Police, stated: “Teachers informed us that the fire spread very rapidly. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, we believe the explosion was caused by sparks from the tires igniting the gas cylinders powering the vehicle.”
Authorities are searching for the driver who seems to have fled the scene. Kittirat mentioned, “We are investigating all parties involved, including the transport company, to determine if negligence was a factor.”
Some students managed to escape by jumping out of the windows.
There were conflicting reports regarding the number of passengers on the school bus. Surviving teachers mentioned that there were three buses on the trip, and some students had transferred to different buses en route.
Rescue organization staff at the scene stated that most of the bodies were found in the middle and rear seats of the bus, leading them to speculate that the fire likely started in the front of the bus, causing victims to flee towards the middle and rear.
A spokesperson for the police department reported that a surviving teacher informed authorities that the fire spread so quickly that she couldn’t even retrieve her cellphone. Some teachers and students managed to escape through the doors, while others jumped out of the windows.
Thai Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, stating that the students were from Uthai Thani province, about 155 miles north of Bangkok, on their way for a field trip.
He expressed, “As a mother, I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the victims.”
He also assured that the government would cover medical expenses and assist the families of the victims, and visited the injured individuals in the hospital.
(This article is based on reports from Reuters and Associated Press)