PATHUM THANI — A bus carrying 38 young students and their 6 teachers caught fire on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road in Pathum Thani Province, near Bangkok, around noon Tuesday, October 1. More than 10 bodies of students were found near the back door of the bus.
The bus was carrying 44 passengers from Wat Phraya Sangkharam School, central Uthai Thani Province to Ayutthaya for a school trip. There was also 1 driver and 1 bus attendant, bringing the total number of people on the bus to 46.
At the time of the incident, the bus was heading to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand Learning Center, Central Office, in Nonthaburi Province. The driver, Mr. Saman Chanphut, 48 years old, disappeared from the scene and could not be contacted by phone.
A rescuer at the scene stated that the fire likely started after one of the tires exploded and the vehicle scraped against a road barrier. At the time of the incident, the teachers couldn’t open the bus door, causing the students to choke on smoke and be burned by the fire.
However, subsequent police investigation confirmed that the door could be opened, as some teachers and students managed to escape. There were also children who jumped out through the window. It is presumed that the remaining victims were in a state of panic, and with the fire spreading rapidly and intensely, they were unable to escape in time.
Mr. Krailert Isawat, an eyewitness, recounted that he was driving alongside this bus, which was one of three buses traveling together. He saw smoke billowing from the roof of the bus, so he stopped his car to find a fire extinguisher. At that moment, a public bus was passing by, so he waved it down to stop and get a fire extinguisher. Everyone tried to help the children inside, but the fire was too strong, so they had to retreat.
“After that, I saw that the fire was getting stronger. I couldn’t see how many children there were, and I didn’t hear any children screaming. But I saw two children running out with their bodies engulfed in flames, along with a teacher,” he said.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra broke down in tears after learning about the incident. She said that children of this age are unable to help themselves, which makes her feel deeply saddened by this incident.
She has sent two deputy prime ministers – Anutin Charnvirakul, Minister of Interior, and Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Minister of Transport – along with Ms. Sabeeda Thaised, Deputy Minister of Interior who is from Uthai Thani, to the scene of the accident.
Later, she offered her condolences in a post on social media platform X, saying the government would take care of medical expenses and compensate the victims’ families.
According to the forensic team’s investigation at the scene, this vehicle had a modified body from an Isuzu bus body but had Mercedes-Benz logos on the front and back. The bus was insured by Viriyah Insurance Company, which specifies a payment of 500,000 baht per deceased person.
Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said the deadly bus that caught fire is not a double-decker bus but a tall single-deck bus powered by CNG, which made it very susceptible to fire. He added that the ministry will review the use of gas-powered buses due to safety concerns.
The children on the bus ranged from Grade 1 (6 years old) to Grade 9 (15 years old). Initially, there were reports of 23 fatalities, consisting of 20 students and 3 teachers. However, initially these individuals were still being officially classified as missing persons.
At 2:50 p.m., Prime Minister Paetongtarn visited the children and teachers injured in this incident. She then crossed a pedestrian bridge to offer encouragement to the children and teachers who had safely survived at the temporary incident command center, located at the Tupatemee Sports Field near the accident site.
After the visit, she met with Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Social Development and Human Security, inquiring whether there were sufficient psychiatrists to care for the children and teachers. Mr. Varawut said there were both doctors and multidisciplinary teams from Uthai Thani, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, and Chai Nat.
The Prime Minister also instructed Mr. Somsak Thepsutin, Minister of Public Health, to arrange medical teams to provide psychological care for both children and teachers involved in the incident, not just from the affected bus but from all buses in the group. This is because some of the children are siblings. She requested separate care for children and adults, including families in Uthai Thani province.
Meanwhile, Ms. Sabeeda Thaised, Deputy Minister of Interior, and Mr. Chada Thaised, MP for Uthai Thani, facilitated the return of the surviving children and teachers to Uthai Thani.
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