CHIANG MAI – A passenger van carrying foreign tourists crashed into a tree on the Chiang Mai to Phrao road while travelling to a National Children’s Day event. Seven people were hurt, and five of them were trapped inside the van. Rescue teams used hydraulic cutters to free the injured and rushed them to hospitals.
Police told reporters the call came in around 3:00 p.m. on January 10, 2026. Police and Mae Jo Rescue Association responded with hydraulic cutting tools to the scene on the Chiang Mai to Phrao route, just before Wang Bua Thong Waterfall in Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai.
Upon arrival, they found a badly damaged passenger van with seven injured passengers, all foreigners, with five still stuck in the vehicle. Crews moved quickly to get everyone out safely.
One person was found unconscious, not responding, and with no pulse. Rescuers gave first aid at the scene and transported the patient to Mae Taeng Hospital. The other six had minor injuries and remained conscious.
After the rescue, patients were transferred by rescue units and ambulances for treatment at Mae Taeng Hospital, San Sai Hospital, and Nakornping Hospital. The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Highway Police.
