A bus carrying young students and their teachers on educational excursion caught fire outside Bangkok, Thailand on Tuesday, leaving more than 20 feared dead.
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| Firemen work at the site of a bus that caught fire, carrying young students with their teachers, in suburban Bangkok, Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Photo courtesy: Khaosod |
Reports said the bus with 45 passengers — six teachers and 39 elementary and junior high school students — was returning to the Thai capital after a school trip to the north of the country.
The fire was first reported around noon and was put out in less than an hour.
Footage of the incident showed the driver attempting to extinguish the fire but he reportedly escaped the scene.
The driver handed himself in to police, according to local media.
Witnesses say the bus crashed into the concrete barrier dividing the highway after a front tire burst.
19 children and 3 teachers are reported to have survived, sixteen of whom are being treated in hospital for their injuries.
Police said of the 23 bodies found, eleven were male, seven female and a further five were unidentifiable.
There were also reports of discrepancy of the number of people onboard the bus. Some cited that there were three buses for this school trip. Some students had moved to different buses than the ones they were initially on.
— The Summit Express
