33 injured as bus carrying Russian tourists crashes into toll booth
Tour bus slams into another vehicle and a toll booth near Pattaya sustaining heavy damage and injuring most of those on board
33 persons were injured, six of them critically, when a bus carrying Russian tourists crashed into a toll booth, a road barrier, and an SUV on the motorway heading to Pattaya City in Chonburi province on Thursday evening.
Highway police said the accident took place at 6.46pm when a bus belonging to Kimhor Tour, licence plate 33-3462 Bangkok, lost control and crashed into a toll booth at the Ngern Pong checkpoint in Bang Lamung district, before sliding into a road barrier and a Toyota Fortuner SUV.
The bus, which was carrying mostly Russian tourists, sustained heavy damage, police said, adding that rescue workers hurriedly evacuated passengers from the wreckage as the fuel started leaking onto the ground.
Of the 33 injured victims, 30 were bus passengers and 3 were in the SUV. They were sent to nearby hospitals for treatment, police said.
Initial investigations revealed that the bus was driven by a Thai driver, Sayant (last name withheld), aged 74, and was carrying 41 Russian tourists from Koh Samet in Rayong province to Pattaya City.
CCTV footage showed the bus travelling at high speed and the driver attempting to change lanes near the toll booth after noticing that traffic cones blocked the lane he was in, police said.
Police held the driver for questioning and will further investigate the cause of the accident.
