More than 20 children and teachers in Thailand have died after a double-decker coach school bus caught on fire on the outskirts of the capital city of Bangkok.
The bus had 45 passengers, including six teachers and 39 students in elementary and junior high school. The vehicle was returning from a school trip in the central Uthai Thani province when it caught fire.
Forensics police found 23 burned bodies on board. Among the victims, 11 were male, seven were female, and five were not identifiable, per BBC. However, a Facebook post identified one of the victims as teacher Kanokwan Sripong. That post also noted that she perished along with two other teachers and 22 children.
Parent Herald cannot independently verify the information provided in the post.
The ages of the children on board the bus at the time of the blaze were also unclear. The school caters to children between the ages of three and 15.
"Some of the bodies we recovered were very, very small. They must have been very young in age," Piyalak Thinkaew, who is leading the search, told reporters.
Most of the bodies were found in the back part of the bus, where police believed the victims went to try to escape once the fire started.
#BREAKING: A school bus in Thailand with about 44 students and teachers on board caught fire on the outskirts of Bangkok. As many as 25 of them are feared dead.#Thailand #ThailandFire #Bangkok pic.twitter.com/6r6Urknzrx
— JUST IN | World (@justinbroadcast) October 1, 2024
How Did the Fire Start?
According to officials, the fire began when a tire suddenly burst, causing the bus to scrape along a metal crash barrier. This created sparks that later ignited the petrol tank, per The Guardian.
No other vehicles were involved in the incident.
The fire was first reported around noon. It was put out within an hour. However, rescuers said they were unable to get on board until hours later in fear that the heat inside the bus could cause an explosion.
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How Many Survived?
Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said officials rescued 16 children and three teachers, all of whom were rushed to hospital. One of the students rescued had burns on her face, mouth, and eyes. Doctors said they are doing their best to keep the child, aged 7, from losing her sight, AP News reported.
One of the teachers who managed to escape the fire said some rushed out the door while others jumped out through the windows.
The driver of the bus initially fled from the scene. He later surrendered to the police.
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