6 Myanmar Workers Killed, 12 Injured in Pickup Crash
Six Myanmar migrant workers were killed and 12 injured when the pickup they were traveling in crashed into the roadside median fence on the Phetkasem highway in southern Thailand.
Among the injured, five were reported to be in serious condition.
A police spokesperson said the accident occurred about 3 am on the Phetkasem highway, near Nam Khao village in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
As a result of the impact, six Myanmar passengers were killed and 12 others were seriously injured. According to the spokesperson, the pickup driver fled before police and emergency services arrived.
After colliding with the fence, the pickup was struck from behind by a white Toyota van. No one was injured in the van. It is believed that the van driver was tailgating the pickup at high speed and could not avoid hitting it.
It was reported that the injured Myanmar workers were taken to Prachuap Khiri Khan Hospital.
Workers from Kachin State, Myanmar
According to the police, all those who were killed and injured were from Mudong, in Kachin State, Myanmar. They had crossed the border illegally into Prachuap Khiri Khan on their way to Samut Sakhon to work.
According to police, the pickup swerved into the median fence after a tire burst.
Meanwhile, a group of 20 illegal migrants were caught in Muang district earlier on Tuesday night. In Tambon Huay Sai, a military police patrol stopped a pickup at about 11 pm on Wang Madua-Thammi road.
Twenty passengers were on board, 17 men and three women. They had all crossed illegally from Myanmar. They were handed over to immigration police for legal processing and deportation.
