As relatives flocked to the city to assist in the identification process, authorities in Thailand apprehended the driver of a bus that had caught fire while transporting 23 children and teachers in a suburban area of Bangkok.
Yesterday, a bus departing from Uthai Thani province, approximately 300km north of Bangkok, transported 39 elementary and junior high school pupils and six teachers on a field trip to the provinces of Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi.
The bus caught fire on a route north of the capital, and the fire spread so rapidly that many people couldn’t get out in time.
The chief of the police forensics unit, Trairong Phiwpan, announced that 23 dead were found on the bus.
The charred car, which was powered by natural gas, stayed too hot to enter for hours, delaying the recovery work and the confirmation of the total casualties.
Families were transported in vans from Uthai Thani to Bangkok’s Police General Hospital’s forensics department today to submit DNA samples for the identification procedure.
According to Kornchai Klaiklung, who is the assistant chief of the Royal Thai Police, the forensics team is making every effort to identify the victims as quickly as possible.
Saman Chanput, the driver, turned himself up to the authorities yesterday, some time after the fire broke out.
He is facing charges of careless driving resulting in injuries and deaths, as well as neglecting to stop and assist others and not reporting the collision, according to the police.
Deputy regional police commander Chayanont Meesati informed reporters that the driver informed investigators that he was operating the bus normally until it lost control at the front right tire, collided with another vehicle, and scraped against a concrete highway barrier, resulting in the sparks that set off the fire.
According to Chayanont, the driver tried to extinguish the fire by grabbing a fire extinguisher from another bus on the same route, but he was unable to do so and fled the scene of the accident in a state of panic.
The bus company’s compliance with safety regulations is another area the police are looking into.
During an interview with Thai PBS, bus company owner Songwit Chinnaboot confirmed that the bus underwent mandatory safety inspections twice a year and that the gas cylinders met all requirements.
Additionally, he assured the relatives of the victims that he would do his utmost to recompense them.
Two of the three kids are in critical condition, according to the hospital.
Surgeons are doing all they can to preserve the vision of a seven-year-old girl who had facial burns.
