The bodies of 20 children and three teachers have been recovered following a tragic bus crash outside Bangkok, where a school bus caught fire.
The bus was transporting students back to the Thai capital after a field trip to northern Thailand.
Footage from the scene showed the bus engulfed in flames beneath an overpass, with thick black smoke rising into the sky.
Local media reported that the driver surrendered to police 100km (61 miles) north of Bangkok, after initially attempting to extinguish the fire before fleeing the scene.
Witnesses said the bus struck a concrete barrier dividing the highway, following the bursting of a front tire. The fire quickly consumed the vehicle, leaving many trapped inside.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Of the 42 people on board, 19 children and three teachers survived. Sixteen of the survivors are being treated in hospital for various injuries.
Forensic police confirmed that 23 bodies were recovered, with 11 identified as male, seven female, and five too badly burned to be identified.
The ages of the children have not yet been confirmed, though the school is known to cater to students between three and 15 years old.
Thailand’s Transport Minister, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, described the bus’s use of compressed natural gas (CNG) as “extremely risky,” adding, “The ministry must find a way to ban this type of fuel for passenger vehicles.”
Piyalak Thinkaew, who led the search operation, said identifying the bodies was difficult due to the severity of the burns.
“Some of the bodies we found were very small,” he said. “The fire started at the front of the bus, and the children instinctively moved to the back, which is where we found most of the bodies.”
Thailand has one of the highest road fatality rates in the world, with about 20,000 deaths each year attributed to unsafe driving and poorly maintained vehicles.
Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that a full investigation is underway, noting, “We have to examine tire marks, burning traces, and CCTV footage to understand what happened.”
Source-BBC
