Tour bus inferno in Lampang sparks fresh safety concerns
All passengers on Bangkok-Chiang Mai service escape unharmed but fire comes just months after one of country’s worst bus tragedies
A tour bus burst into flames in Lampang on Sunday, sparking fresh fears over the safety of Thailand’s bus fleet.
The Transport Co bus was travelling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai when it caught fire in Koh Kha district at around 8pm. All passengers were safely evacuated from the vehicle, which belonged to Viriya Tour, a Transport Co joint venture.
Atthawit Rakjamroon, Transport Co’s acting president, said the driver noticed smoke coming from the back of the bus, so he parked the vehicle and instructed passengers to evacuate. No passengers were injured.
Atthawit apologised for the incident, adding that his company runs regular safety checks on its buses covering engines, brakes and drivers.
He also vowed to cooperate with the Department of Land Transport’s investigation of the blaze.
The incident comes just three months after one of the country’s worst-ever bus blazes left 23 dead and triggered a safety crackdown. The government ordered checks on thousands of buses that use compressed natural gas (CNG) after a 50-year-old modified CNG-powered bus burst into flames just north of Bangkok on October 1, killing 20 schoolchildren and three teachers.
