A tragic bus accident involving primary school children has occurred just outside Bangkok, Thailand. The bus, carrying dozens of children and teachers, crashed and caught fire, leaving many unaccounted for. According to Thailand’s transport minister, 16 children and three teachers managed to escape the blaze, but 22 students and three teachers are still missing.

Thailand’s prime minister confirmed that the accident resulted in both deaths and injuries, although the exact number of fatalities remains unclear. Images from the scene show the bus completely destroyed by the fire. Local media reports indicate that investigators have been unable to enter the vehicle due to extreme heat.

Of the 19 people who escaped the bus, eight were sent to the hospital for treatment, according to a health ministry official. The bus was one of three that had been transporting children and teachers returning from a school field trip in the northern province of Uthai Thani.

Transport Minister Suriyahe Juangroongruangkit stated that the bus was powered by compressed natural gas, a fuel source he described as “extremely risky.” He expressed concern about the safety of such vehicles, suggesting that measures should be taken to possibly ban passenger vehicles from using this type of fuel due to the danger it poses.

The prime minister also ordered government officials to visit the site. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand’s prime minister, expressed deep sorrow for the victims, particularly as a parent herself. “As a mother, I would like to express my deepest regrets to the families of those killed,” she said. She also promised that the government would cover all medical expenses and provide compensation to the families of the deceased.

Search efforts are underway to locate those still missing, but authorities have indicated that the condition of the bodies makes identification difficult. Piyalak Thinkaew, leading the search, described the tragic scene, noting that many of the bodies were small, indicating that children had perished. He explained that the fire started at the front of the bus, and many of the children had instinctively tried to escape to the back, where the remains were found.

The accident occurred when the bus, traveling on a highway into Bangkok, suffered a tyre blowout, causing it to crash into a barrier. A rescue worker explained that the bus was then engulfed in flames. Video footage from local television showed the bus burning under an overpass, with dense black smoke billowing into the sky.

The driver of the bus reportedly fled the scene, but Thailand’s Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul assured the public that authorities were confident they would track him down. Efforts to locate him are ongoing.

The ages of the children involved in the accident remain unknown, but the school in question accommodates students ranging from three to 15 years old.

Thailand has one of the highest road fatality rates globally, with about 20,000 road deaths annually. Contributing factors include unsafe vehicles and reckless driving. This incident highlights the ongoing issue of road safety in the country, with authorities calling for increased scrutiny of vehicle safety standards and stricter enforcement of regulations to prevent future tragedies like this one.