Cause unknown School bus catches fire in Bangkok - up to 25 dead
On Tuesday afternoon, a serious fire broke out on a school bus in Bangkok, Thailand. Several children and teachers are believed to have lost their lives.
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- A school bus caught fire in the Thai capital Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon.
- The exact number of fatalities is not yet known. The authorities assume that 25 people died.
- The details are currently being clarified.
A fire broke out on a school bus in Bangkok, Thailand, at around 12.30 on Tuesday afternoon. The exact number of fatalities is not yet known, but based on the number of survivors it is assumed that 25 people died, according to Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
The bus is said to have been carrying 38 pupils and six teachers from the province of Uthai Thani. They were on a school trip to Ayutthaya when the accident happened.
The dead were still on the bus hours after the fire, which the emergency services were initially unable to enter due to the intense heat.
Only 19 people - 16 students and three teachers - were rescued alive from the double-decker bus and taken to hospitals, it was reported. Many are still missing.
According to reports, the pupils were very young children. The driver is said to be untraceable and on the run.
Eyewitnesses reported that a front tire had exploded, causing the bus to scrape along roadblocks and finally catch fire. Videos circulated on the internet showed the bus ablaze. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her deepest sympathy to the families of the victims.
Further details are not yet known. The authorities are now working to determine the exact causes of the accident.