Tragedy struck outside Bangkok when a bus transporting school pupils and teachers caught fire following a crash, killing 23 people, including 20 children.
The bus was returning to the Thai capital from a school trip to the northern region of the country when the incident occurred.
Videos from the scene showed the bus engulfed in flames beneath an overpass, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Eyewitnesses reported that the bus crashed into the concrete median after one of its front tires burst, causing the vehicle to lose control.
Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit revealed that the bus was powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), a fuel source he described as “extremely risky.”
The intense fire spread quickly through the bus, leaving many of the passengers trapped inside, unable to escape.
Forensic police at the scene confirmed that the bodies of 20 children and three teachers were recovered from the wreckage.
Of the 23 bodies found, eleven were male, seven female, and five were unidentifiable due to the severity of the fire.
The driver of the bus fled the scene after the crash, but authorities are confident they will apprehend him soon, according to Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
While 23 lives were tragically lost, 19 passengers — including 16 children and three teachers — managed to survive.
Sixteen of the survivors are currently being treated in hospital for their injuries.
The ages of the children on board are still unclear, but the school caters to students between the ages of three and 15.
