Regional News
Passenger Bus Crashes in Northeastern Thailand, 42 Students Injured
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CHAIYAPHUM – Forty-six people, including 42 students and two teachers, were slightly hurt when a tour bus they were travelling in plunged into a ditch in Khon Sawan district in northeastern Thailand late Friday night.
The bus, carrying students and teachers of Khok Muang Suksa School in Khon Kaen’s Chum Phae district, were on the way back after paying respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace.
The driver aparently lost control of the bus at the curve and plunged into the ditch before overturning at around 11.45pm on Friday, said police.
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All 42 students, two teachers, the driver and a bus assistant, were injured and transported to nearby hospitals, said police. Most sustained minor injuries.
Raewadeesiri Onrak, a teacher on board the bus, told the Bangkok Post she and the students were sleeping when the accident occurred. Many students cried with pain. Luckily, there were no losses of lives.
The bus Driver Somkiart Matthaweewong, 54, told police that he heard something like a brake chamber explosion when the bus arrived at the curve. He tried in vain to apply the brakes before losing control of the vehicle, then plunged into the ditch.
Pol Capt Somkhid Khomkhunthod, a deputy investigation chief at Khon Sawan police station said the are investigating further into the cause of the accident.
Meanwhile, In Suphan Buri Province a Myanmar National was killed and six others were injured when their passenger van crashed into the rear early on Saturday morning.
The van driver was also severely injured in the accident that happened at 3.30am on a road in Suphan Buri’s Song Phi Nong district.
The dead Myanmar man was identified only as Myint, 39. He was sitting on the front seat, beside the driver.
Police suspect that the van driver, Songkran Thapirom, 28, may have dozed off.