7-2-2024 (BANGKOK) A passenger bus carrying over 30 people plunged into a river after colliding with a barrier on an unlit stretch of road in Northern Lamphun Province late on Tuesday night, leaving 3 dead and 22 injured.
Eyewitnesses said the bus was travelling at high speed without slowing down when it hit the obstruction and fell 15 feet into the river below. Emergency services rushed to the scene and smashed windows to pull victims from the submerged vehicle.
2 passengers died at the scene and a third passed away in hospital. 22 others suffered injuries ranging from minor to critical and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Police cordoned off the area and brought in cranes to haul the bus from the river so rescue crews could check for anyone still trapped inside.
“It all happened so fast. The road was very dark with no lights and the bus just came speeding round the bend. It didn’t even try to brake before smashing into the barrier and flipping over into the river,” said Apeng, 23, who witnessed the incident.
Local residents helped break windows and pull people to safety before emergency responders arrived on the scene.
“I was at home when I heard a massive crash. I rushed outside and saw the bus in the river so I grabbed a ladder and started smashing windows,” said a village headman, who lives beside the accident site.
The village headman said the stretch of road has been under construction for over 2 years with poor lighting, leading to frequent accidents. He urged authorities to expedite work and install proper lighting to avoid further tragedies.
