- Twenty children dead after Thailand school bus fire, three teachers dead
- Bus crashed into a barrier and burst into flames
- 19 children and three teachers survived
- Police investigated cause of crash
Twenty children dead after Thailand school bus fire
A devastating school bus fire in Thailand has killed 20 children and three teachers. The incident occurred just outside Bangkok as the bus was returning from a school trip.
After the bus crashed into a highway barrier, it caught fire, quickly engulfing the vehicle in flames. Witnesses reported seeing dense black smoke billowing into the sky as those on board struggled to escape. Many were trapped, and the fire spread rapidly.
The bus driver initially attempted to extinguish the fire but later fled the scene before eventually surrendering to the police. Local reports suggest a front tyre burst caused the bus to veer into the concrete barrier. While 19 children and three teachers survived, several are receiving treatment for their injuries.
Authorities, including Thailand’s Transport Minister, noted that the bus was powered by compressed natural gas, a fuel source deemed “extremely risky” in such vehicles.
An investigation is underway, examining tyre marks, CCTV footage, and burn traces to determine the cause of the fire. Thailand, known for its poor road safety record, experiences around 20,000 fatalities annually due to unsafe vehicles and reckless driving.