Elbahrain.net As family gathered in the city on Wednesday to assist in identifying their loved ones, Thai police detained the driver of a bus carrying young kids and teachers that caught fire and killed 23 in a suburban area of Bangkok.
On Tuesday, the bus, which was headed to Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces for a school excursion, left Uthai Thani province, which is located approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Bangkok, with 39 elementary and junior high school pupils and six teachers on board.
The bus was on a highway to the north of the capital when the fire broke out, and it spread so fast that many people were unable to flee.
The chief of the police forensic division, Trairong Phiwpan, reported that 23 dead had been found inside the bus. The burning vehicle was powered by natural gas, and it remained too hot to enter for hours, delaying the rescue efforts and confirmation of the overall number of deaths.
In order to offer their DNA samples for the identification process, the families were transported in vans from Uthai Thani to the forensic division of the Police General Hospital in Bangkok on Wednesday. The head of the Royal Thai Police’s assistant, Kornchai Klaiklung, informed reporters that the forensics team was making every effort to identify the victims.
The driver, who the police have named as Saman Chanput, turned himself in on Tuesday night, a few hours after the incident. According to the police, he has been charged with careless driving resulting in fatalities and injuries, neglecting to stop and assist others, and neglecting to report the collision.
According to Chayanont Meesati, deputy regional police chief, the driver told investigators he was operating the bus normally up until it lost balance at its front right tire, collided with another vehicle, and scratched a concrete highway barrier, creating sparks that set off the fire.
According to Chayanont, the driver fled after frantically trying to get hold of a fire extinguisher from another bus that was on the same trip, but he was unable to put out the fire and fled in fear.
According to the police, they are also looking into whether the bus business complied with all safety regulations.
The owner of the bus company, Songwit Chinnaboot, stated that the gas cylinders had met safety regulations and that the bus underwent mandatory safety inspections twice a year in an interview with Thai PBS, the public broadcaster. He also promised to do all in his power to make amends for the victims’ families.
According to the hospital, two of the three pupils that are admitted are seriously ill. A 7-year-old child sustained facial burns, and according to a surgeon, medical professionals were making every effort to preserve her vision.
In a post on the social media site X, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her sympathies and said the government will pay for the victims’ medical bills and assist their families. Later, she went to see the hospitalized injured.
