Land Transport Department puts five parties on notice over deadly bus inferno
20 students and three teachers were killed last week in the tragic accident
The Department of Land Transport (DLT) plans to pursue legal actions against five parties over the deadly tour bus blaze that killed 23 people on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Pathum Thani province on Tuesday.
The gas-powered bus arranged by Wat Khao Phraya Sangkaram School in Uthai Thani province for a school trip to Ayutthaya province was engulfed in flames after one of its front tyres exploded. The tragic accident killed 20 students and three teachers.
Department director-general Jirut Wisaljit said on Friday that police investigation revealed the bus was fitted with 11 fuel gas cylinders, but only six were properly registered, while the remaining five were not listed in the official registration.
He said the five parties responsible for the incident are:
1. Bus operator Shinabutr Tour. The department has inspected every vehicle owned by the company and submitted the details to the police to build the case.
2. Bus owner Panisara Shinabutr. The DLT has suspended her public transport operator licence. If the incident were found to have been caused by the operator’s negligence, her licence will be revoked.
3. Bus driver Saman Chanphut. His driving licence has been suspended, and would be revoked if he were found to be at fault.
4. Bus inspectors. Two unnamed officials of the department’s Sing Buri office who were responsible for inspecting the bus have been transferred to inactive positions at the department’s headquarters, pending investigation. They will face severe disciplinary punishment if their negligence caused the incident.
5. Gas canister installer. Alternative Resource Engineering Ltd was listed as the company who fitted canisters of compressed natural gas (CNG) on the bus. The company risks losing its permit.
The bus in the accident was a 41-seater chartered passenger bus with the licence plate 30-0423 Sing Buri. It was first registered on February 19, 1970 – 54 years ago. It was re-registered on October 26, 2018, due to modifications made to its chassis frame and changes to its dimensions.
