PHAYAO – Police have reported a car plunged into a canal in the Dok Khamtai district, leaving four dead, including a three-year-old boy. The incident happened on the evening of Saturday, 25 October.
Police from the Dok Khamtai station reported they received an alert from Dok Khamtai Hospital that a car had gone into the canal near Moo 6, Dong Suwan, on the border with Pa Sang, Dok Khamtai district, Phayao.
Officers went to the scene with volunteers from the Khunlarn emergency team and the Khunatham Saeng Thong Rescue Association.
When they arrived at the scene, crowds had already gathered by the roadside. The road was narrow and unlit, with no street lights. A black Nissan Almera saloon was found submerged about 2 metres deep and roughly 10 metres from the carriageway.
Nearby residents pulled four people from the vehicle before officials arrived. All four were already deceased.
The victims were identified as Mr Siampon (surname withheld), 29, from Moo 6, San Khong; Mr Sitthichai (surname withheld), 32, from Moo 3, Pa Sang; Ms Sukanya (surname withheld), 27, from Moo 3, Pa Sang; and a three-year-old boy from Moo 1, Dong Suwan, Dok Khamtai.
Rescue workers coordinated with doctors from Dok Khamtai Hospital to examine the bodies at the scene, then transferred the deceased to the hospital for post-mortem examinations.
An initial review suggests the crash was likely caused by poor visibility on a narrow, unlit stretch of road with a bend and a canal running alongside, which may have caused the driver to lose control.
Police are continuing to investigate the exact cause and have notified the families of those who died.
