Two fatal bus accidents have taken place at exactly the same spot in Tak province within a 12-hour period.
Victims of the second tragedy were actually officials inspecting the scene of the first accident, which caused six deaths and injured at least 30 people late on Monday night.
“The second accident killed one and injured two others on Tuesday morning,” said Pol Colonel Samoraphum Faikhieo, the superintendent of Tak – Kamphaeng Phet highway station.
He said Manida Thankijrungroj, a female labour official, was killed instantly in the second incident, while Pol Captain Sanya Phumkomsan, a highway official, and another man were injured.
According to Samoraphum, the first accident involved a bus carrying Myanmar workers . Officials from various agencies then gathered to inspect the scene and gather evidence.
“As officials were working at the spot, another bus sped down a hill, lost control, banged into a highway-police vehicle before crashing further into traffic barriers,” Samoraphum said.
He said officials began running for their lives when they saw the bus coming down the hill – but for some, the vehicle had been travelling too fast for them to get out of the way.
Samoraphum said the bus driver was now being detained for interrogation and faced further legal proceedings.
“This bus was returning from Mae Sot, where it dropped off its Myanmar passengers,” he said.
As of press time, 12 victims of the first bus accident remained hospitalised with severe injuries.
“Some 18 others were released from hospitals after receiving treatment,” Samoraphum said.
(Source:-The Nation, Thailand)