At least 19 dead after bus plunges off mountain road in central Thailand; PM Paetongtarn orders probe

Bangkok’s prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered an investigation into a fatal bus accident that occurred on Wednesday ( Feb. 26 ) in the central province of Prachin Buri and claimed the lives of at least 19 people, according to local news agency Khaosod.

According to the Prachin Buri Road Safety Centre, the incident occurred at around 3.20 a.m. local time in the Nadi city of Prachin Buri.

Prachin Buri is located around a three-hour pull from Bangkok. &nbsp,

Legal action will be taken if it is discovered that a vehicle is being used in a manner that does not adhere to the rules or is involved in foolish driving, according to Paetongtarn on X. &nbsp,

Local media reported that the vehicle was carrying 47 passengers and two drivers from Bueng Kan state, located beside the Mekong River in Thailand’s east, on a” group study trip” to Rayong province in the eastern coast of Thailand. &nbsp,

One of three double-decker cars, according to reports, transported local government officials. &nbsp,

The vehicle driver lost control before going off the road, down a hill, and overturned on a steep part of the Khao San Pu Ton rock, according to local media reports.

The party had left Bueng Kan state the day before at around 5 p.m. &nbsp,

The Prachin Buri Provincial Public Relations Office stated in a previous declaration that one death occurred at the scene of the accident, and the other died in a hospital. &nbsp,

Local media store The Nation reported that local police officers and rescuers transported the injured victims, including those who were hurt, to local hospitals for health care. &nbsp,

According to Bangkok Post, 19 persons were admitted to Nadi Hospital and 13 to Kabin Buri Hospital. &nbsp,

The Prachin Buri Provincial Public Relations Office announced on Wednesday that the damaged route is also being cleared to help visitors while the cause of the accident is being looked into.

Additionally, Nadi District Chief Somjai Putthasena has confirmed that the vehicle involved in the accident was a member of the Bueng Kan provincial Phon Charoen Municipality’s review tour group.

According to Bangkok Post, the 200 people were taking a five-day research journey to Bueng Kan’s Phon Charoen Municipality to promote the development of the Community Waste Bank. &nbsp,

Khaosod added that the Khao San Pu Ton mountain’s downhill gradient is a regular crash site.

According to Khaosod, the pilot lost control of the vehicle after the brake failed. &nbsp,

About four weeks after a fatal crash involving a vehicle in a residential Bangkok, the most recent incident occurred.

In October next month, 23 people, mostly children, were killed after a school bus had caught fire. &nbsp,

Six instructors and 39 students from elementary and junior high schools were traveling on the vehicle from Uthai Thani state, which is 300 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, for a class trip to Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces.

Some people were unable to escape the fire, which started while the vehicle was traveling northeast of the capital. &nbsp,

The van driver has been detained and charged with reckless travelling in Thailand that resulted in fatalities and injuries.

According to AFP, Thailand ranked ninth out of 175 World Health Organization member states for highway traffic fatalities, as noted in its 2023 statement.