Officials confirm 23 killed in the tragic school bus fire
Forensics rush to identify remains found, aiming to complete in three days
Governor Phasakorn Boonyaluck of Pathum Thani provided an update on the school bus accident involving Khao Phraya Sangkaram School from Lan Sak District, Uthai Thani Province. The bus caught fire while transporting students for a field trip in Pathum Thani.
A total of 137 students, teachers, and staff were on board. As of now, 77 people have been transported back to their hometowns using buses provided by the Ministry of Transport, while some students were picked up by their parents.
There are 20 students and 3 teachers still missing persons.
Earlier this evening, all the bodies were removed from the scene and sent to the Police General Hospital for autopsy and identification. Acting National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Kitrat Phanphet has ordered the hospital to complete the identification process within three days.
As for the three students still in the ICU at PatRangsit Hospital , Phasakorn explained that two of them remain in critical condition due to smoke inhalation and burns, and they have been transferred to Thammasat University Hospital for further treatment.
The third student, whose condition is less severe, has been transferred to the Children's Hospital. Additionally, one teacher who sustained minor injuries while rescuing students has been sent back to their home province for recovery.
The Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital has established an identification operations centre for this tragic incident. Some of the bodies have already been sent for examination, but due to severe burns, the medical team is focusing on collecting blood, tissue, and bone samples.
These materials can retain DNA, which will be compared with samples from relatives. DNA results from blood samples will be available within one day, from tissue within three days, and from bone within seven days. Therefore, relatives providing DNA samples are requested to be direct relatives, such as parents or siblings, to expedite the identification process.
As for the examination of the evidence, it cannot be conducted yet as investigators are still collecting evidence from the scene, particularly retrieving the bodies. Once this process is complete, forensic experts will inspect the vehicle and its fuel system to determine the exact cause of the accident.
Additionally, the Ministry of Public Health has coordinated to bring in a Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (MCATT) to the operations center to provide psychological support and counseling to the parents and relatives following up on the situation.
Kitrat expressed his condolences regarding the tragic school bus fire. The initial cause is suspected to be a tire explosion, which generated sparks and ignited the gas cylinder on board, causing the fire to spread rapidly throughout the passenger area.
Regarding the issue of the bus doors not opening, Kitrat stated that teachers mentioned the incident happened very quickly, with some managing to escape through the emergency exit, indicating that the doors were functional. However, it’s believed the victims could not exit the bus in time. Authorities will investigate whether the fire extinguishers on the bus were used.
As for the bus driver, who initially fled the scene, he has since surrendered to the police.
The investigation will now determine whether the accident was due to driver negligence and whether proper fire safety equipment was available. If the bus lacked such equipment, it would indicate a failure to address the emergency, potentially leading to charges of negligence. Both the driver and the bus company will face legal action, he said.
