Two youngsters amongst 11 burnt to demise in Thai van crash

BANGKOK: Eleven folks, together with two youngsters, burnt to demise in a passenger van crash in central Thailand over the Lunar New 12 months vacation, police mentioned Monday (Jan 23).

Visitors accidents are widespread within the kingdom, which has a infamous street security report, significantly throughout busy public holidays.

The van carrying 12 folks was travelling from northeastern Amnat Charoen province to Bangkok when it veered off the freeway in central Nakhon Ratchasima province Saturday night time, mentioned Police Colonel Yingyos Poldej.

Yingyos informed AFP that one man had been capable of climb out a window, however the different passengers had been trapped and died within the blaze.

The survivor, Thanachit Kingkaew, a 20-year-old pupil, mentioned he was asleep when he was jolted awake after listening to somebody scream.

“I wakened and the subsequent factor I do know, the van was the wrong way up. I did not see what occurred,” he mentioned.

“After the crash, the hearth began engulfing the entire van ranging from the again.”

“I began kicking the home windows and managed to crawl by a small gap,” he mentioned.

“Quickly after that, the van exploded.”

Nikhom Seaun, a volunteer with an area rescue group, mentioned the van exploded simply seconds after it was engulfed in flames.

“It took lower than 30 seconds for the hearth to devour the entire van,” he mentioned.

“I could not do something with the hearth extinguisher I had. The van then exploded three to 4 occasions.”

Yingyos, the police colonel, mentioned the van used each gas and compressed fuel however preliminary stories discovered the fuel tank had not leaked.

“We expect that the hearth was attributable to the gas,” he mentioned, including they had been nonetheless investigating what prompted the automobile to veer off the street.