School Bus Fire in Bangkok Leaves Over 20 Dead

According to government officials and rescuers in Thailand, more than 20 people have died as a result of a fire on a bus carrying students and teachers in the outskirts of Bangkok, the capital of the country. Kiatrat Fanphit, a senior police official in Thailand, stated that the incident occurred on Tuesday, October 2, in the northern suburbs of Bangkok. The bus was carrying 39 students and six teachers and caught fire while returning from a trip to a central region of the country. The fire was reported around noon local time and was extinguished less than an hour after rescue units arrived at the scene. However, due to the potential for a natural gas explosion in the bus's fuel tank, rescuers were unable to enter the vehicle for several hours afterward. Investigations to identify the victims are ongoing, and the police have announced that the fate of three teachers and 20 students is still unknown. The cause of the bus fire is not yet clear, but police suspect that a tire burst created sparks, which then spread fire throughout the bus. The police added that no other vehicles were involved in the incident. There have been varying reports regarding the number of passengers on the bus. Rescuers quoted one teacher who survived, stating that three buses were transporting passengers, and along the way, some students moved from the designated bus to other buses. One rescuer told reporters that most of the bodies were found in the middle and back seats of the bus, indicating that the fire likely started at the front of the bus and that passengers fled to the rear. Kiatrat Fanphit mentioned that officers are searching for the driver, who appears to have fled the scene. He added in a press conference, 'Bus companies and other individuals related to this incident will be prosecuted if their responsibility is proven.' The senior police official noted, 'Such an incident causes great sorrow. We will not cover up the facts in any way to help anyone.' He pointed out that 16 students received treatment for minor injuries and were discharged, while three other students are hospitalized. He added that one teacher who survived the incident told police that the fire spread so quickly that she did not even have time to grab her mobile phone. Some passengers managed to exit through the bus door, while others jumped out of the windows. Hospital officials near the scene told reporters that three female students are being treated at this hospital, one of whom has suffered burns to her face, including her mouth and eye, and doctors will try to save her eyesight. Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Prime Minister of Thailand, expressed condolences and sympathy in a message on social media platform X, promising that the government would cover the medical expenses of the injured and assist the families of the victims. He visited the injured in the hospital a few hours later.