19 killed, 30 injured in study tour bus crash

On the downward section of Highway 304 in Prachin Buri, brake fail.

A vehicle carrying students on a group study tour in the Nadi area of Prachin Buri overturned on a downhill road on Wednesday, killing 19 people and injuring 30 others.

The vehicle was one of three taking 129 citizens from Bueng Kan state, beside the Mekong River, to Rayong.

The incident occurred about 3.20 a.m. near kilometer indicator 210.50 on Highway 304, according to the Prachin Buri road safety center. The driver lost power on a downhill area, the vehicle plunged off the road, down the slope and rejected. &nbsp,

” It was a downhill path and the brake failed, and the pilot lost control of the vehicle before it overturned”, said Pol Col Sophon Phramaneehe.

There were 49 folks on the bus, all Thai, including the pilot, he said.

According to reports, two people were later pronounced dead at a clinic and 17 people died there. &nbsp,

The wounded were transported to the clinics in Nadi and Kabin Buri.

One of three people traveling on a 5-day research trip organized by the Buen Kan neighborhood waste bank development project was the crashed vehicle.

The cause of the accident was being looked into by authorities.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her condolences to the families of the patients and said an investigation was being conducted.

In a blog on X, she said,” If it is determined that there is a violation of the use of cars that do not meet the standards or are involved in foolish use of automobiles, legal action will be taken.”

To prevent accidents and lessen losses like this, vehicles must be protected and compliant with the requirements before being used.

Due to poor road maintenance and inadequate police of car safety requirements, road accidents and fatalities are frequent in Thailand. According to its 2023 record, the nation placed ninth out of 175 states that the World Health Organization is a member of in terms of road traffic fatalities.

Last month, a tour bus carrying babies on a field trip caught fire due to a petrol barrel hole, killing 23 people, including 20 individuals.