17 killed in Thailand after a bus crashed with train

At least 17 commuters were killed and more than a dozen wounded on Sunday when a bus crashed with a train in Thailand, authorities said.

The bus travellers were on their way to a temple in Cha Choeng Sao region which is a two hours bus ride from the capital city Bangkok. People were travelling to attend a ceremony to mark the end of “Vassa” (known as “Buddhist Lent”), stated the Police Chief.

“The mortality toll we have so far is 17,” he stated, continuing that the accident happened at about 8 am (01:00 GMT).

The regional governor Maitree Tritilanond informed journalists that about 29 people had been notified injured so far.

Early photographs by rescue operators revealed gnarled metal and rubble, with corpses lying by the train tracks and people’s belongings disseminated. The bus was upturned on its side, its roof shredded off, and rescue operators stated a crane was required to lift it.

The number of fatalities is assumed to rise. Such destructive occurrences are common in Thailand, which usually tops records of nations with the world’s most deadly roads, with racing, drunk driving and weak law enforcement all contributing factors.

As per a report released by the World Health Organization in 2018 , Thailand has the second-highest traffic death rate in the world.

Though a preponderance of the victims are motorcyclists, bus crashes including groups of tourists and migrant labourers often grab headlines.

In March 2018, at least 18 people were killed and several others injured when a bus transporting individuals returning from a holiday in northeastern Thailand swerved off the road and crashed into a tree.