A devastating bus fire in suburban Bangkok leaves 25 students and teachers feared dead, with 19 survivors. Prime Minister offers condolences and support.
Bangkok — A terrible bus fire in a quieter part of the city on Tuesday has left people worried that up to 25 students and their teachers might have died.
The bus, filled with 44 people on a school trip from Uthai Thani province to Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi, caught fire and was destroyed, as seen in horrifying videos that are going viral on social media.
The students, mostly in elementary and middle school, were in a really scary situation as the fire took over the bus, with some people still trapped inside even hours later.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that they’re still looking into it, but it looks like things are pretty bad for everyone on the bus.
#World | 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.
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) October 1, 2024
(Video credit: X)https://t.co/p49f75ixkx pic.twitter.com/0JszvlqtGi
The driver got away from the fire but has not been found and is missing. Eyewitnesses and the rescue team think the fire started when one of the bus’s tires blew out, causing the bus to hit a road barrier in Pathum Thani province, which is a bit north of Bangkok and a suburb.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra shared her sadness on social media, promising to pay for their medical bills and give money to the families who lost loved ones in this awful event.
Rescue teams from Hongsakul Khlong Luang 21 have found at least 10 bodies in the bus, and 19 people are said to have made it out alive.