Officials arrange Transport Company buses to pick up student survivors of the bus fire in Pathum Thani and return them to Uthai Thani Province. Some children wave goodbye at the accident site, while others wipe away tears, grieving for the 23 friends and teachers who lost their lives in the incident on October 1ม 2024.
BANGKOK — The young students from Khao Phra Ya Sangkharam School who were on a field trip have returned to Uthai Thani province on the evening of Tuesday. This follows the shocking and tragic accident where 20 students aged 7-15 and 3 teachers lost their lives in a fire that engulfed the second of three buses.
As the buses passed the accident site, some students were seen wiping tears and waving goodbye to their friends who would never return home, deeply moved by the tragedy. Meanwhile, relatives and families in Uthai Thani were crying, stressed, and worried about the children.
The fatal bus fire was reportedly caused by a tire explosion which created sparks at 12:08 p.m. on October 1. The presence of gas tanks used as fuel in the bus caused the fire to spread rapidly into the passenger compartment.
Sabeeda Thaised, Deputy Minister of Interior and native of Uthai Thani, accompanies surviving students from the bus fire incident in Pathum Thani as they board a bus to return home to Uthai Thani on October 1, 2024.
Police General Kittirat Panpetch, acting National Police Chief, confirmed that the bus door could be opened, as some teachers and students managed to escape. There were also children who jumped out through the window. It is presumed that the remaining victims were in a state of panic, and with the fire spreading rapidly and intensely, they were unable to escape in time.
Regarding the driver who fled the scene immediately after the incident, Police General Kittirat stated that it was extremely irresponsible and inhumane behavior, as there were many children on the bus who needed help. Currently, officials are verifying personal information to support the investigation and issue an arrest warrant.
The investigation will determine if the accident was caused by negligence of the driver or the bus company. If there was no safety equipment, it shows a lack of preparedness for such emergencies. The condition of the bus will also be examined.
Image of the bus before the fire: It was an Isuzu bus body but had Mercedes-Benz logos on the front sides, and back, and bore license plates from Sing Buri province.
The next step is victim identification at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Police General Hospital. The Forensic Science Commander has been instructed to work with forensic doctors to collect DNA samples from the deceased and coordinate with blood relatives for DNA comparison. This process is expected to be completed within two days, after which the relatives can claim the bodies for funeral rites.
Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, revealed that for compensation, the Department of Land Transport requires all public buses to have insurance. The deceased will receive 1 million baht each, and the injured will receive 160,000 baht for medical expenses. Additional compensation from the Prime Minister’s Office’s Public Disaster Fund will be determined in a committee meeting this week, as urgently requested by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Rescuers work at the site of a bus that caught fire, carrying young students with their teachers, in Pathum Thani, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Khaosod Photo)
Meanwhile, Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, Minister of Justice, stated that the Ministry of Justice will provide 200,000 baht for each deceased victim and up to 40,000 baht per treatment for the injured.
According to the Pathum Thani Social Development and Human Security Office, three children are still receiving treatment at Rangsit Medical Center:
A 7-year-old girl in 2nd grade, on a ventilator
A 9-year-old girl in 3rd grade, with 10% body burns
A 14-year-old girl in 9th grade, with 20% body burns… อ่านข่าวต้นฉบับได้ที่ :
Police Lieutenant General Taweesil Wechwaruttanan, Medical Doctor (SB.8) at Police General Hospital, announced that tomorrow a mental health support team will be available to help relatives and families of the victims recover psychologically. The Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital confirmed that there will be no charges for returning the bodies to their hometowns, as the Ruamkatanyu Foundation will transport all deceased victims back to their hometowns free of charge to prevent scams…. อ่านข่าวต้นฉบับได้ที่ : https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2024/10/01/thai-police-probe-deadly-bus-fire-young-students-wipe-tears-for-friends/
