BANGKOK — A bus carrying young students with their teachers caught fire in suburban Bangkok on Tuesday, with more than 20 of those on board feared dead, officials and rescuers said.
The bus was carrying 44 passengers from central Uthai Thani province for a school trip in Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungruengkit told reporters at the scene.
Videos posted on social media showed the entire bus engulfed in fire with huge plumes of black smoke pouring out as it stood on the side of the road. Bodies were still inside the bus hours after the fire.
The students on the bus were reported to be in elementary and junior high school.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said officials could not yet confirm the number of fatalities because they had not finished investigating the scene. He said the driver survived but appeared to have fled and could not yet be found.
Anutin had earlier said 25 were feared dead, but Piyalak Thinkaew, a rescuer of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation told reporters later that two more survivors had been found, reducing the number of those still missing to 23 — three teachers and 20 students.
Rescuers and officials were able to access the bus hours after the fire was put out. Piyalak said they were still unable to identify the bodies, most of which were found in the middle and back seats, leading them to assume that the fire started at the front of the bus.
Thai media reports and rescuers said the bus was heading to Nonthaburi when the fire started around noon in Pathum Thani province, a northern suburb of the capital.
A rescuer at the scene told Suriya that the fire likely started after one of the tires exploded and the vehicle scraped against a road barrier.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra 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.
The patRangsit Hospital, which is located near the scene, said in a news conference that it admitted three young girls, one of whom suffered burns to the face, mouth and eye.
Officials in Thailand are reporting that over 20 people are feared dead after a school bus caught fire outside of Bangkok. The tragic incident occurred on a busy highway in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat, on Tuesday morning.
According to reports, the bus was carrying students and teachers from a local school when it suddenly burst into flames. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but authorities are currently investigating the incident.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as passengers tried to escape the burning bus. Some managed to get out through the windows, while others were trapped inside. Emergency services rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire and rescue those who were still inside the bus.
As of now, officials have confirmed that at least 20 people are feared dead, including students and teachers. The exact number of casualties is still unclear as rescue operations are ongoing.
This tragic incident has shocked the local community and raised concerns about the safety of school transportation in Thailand. The government has promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire and has vowed to take action to prevent similar accidents in the future.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this devastating tragedy. We hope that authorities will be able to provide answers and justice for the victims of this school bus fire outside Bangkok.
