Two killed after bus rear-ends truck

Two killed after bus rear-ends truck

Rescue volunteers search for injured passengers in the wreckage of an interprovincial passenger bus following the fatal crash with a parked trailer truck in Borabue district of Maha Sarakham early Saturday. (Photo taken from Mahasarakham Accident Facebook page)
Rescue volunteers search for injured passengers in the wreckage of an interprovincial passenger bus following the fatal crash with a parked trailer truck in Borabue district of Maha Sarakham early Saturday. (Photo taken from Mahasarakham Accident Facebook page)

MAHA SARAKHAM: Two people were killed and at least 40 others hurt when an interprovincial bus travelling from Bangkok to the Northeast rear-ended a parked trailer truck in Borabue district early Saturday morning.

The crash occurred on Kud Rang-Borabue Road in tambon Nong Sim, said Pol Lt Col Sawang Detburiram, investigation chief at the Borabue police station, who was alerted at 4.30am.

Police and rescuers found the air-conditioned bus operating on the Bangkok-Roi Et route overturned in the middle of the road. The 22-wheel trailer truck had skidded off to the side and scattered goods over the road. 

Two men on board the bus belonging to Sahaphan Tour Co were killed and at least 40 other passengers injured. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, Thai media reports said.

The victims were identified as Niyomrak Phosakha and Thawatchai Khomchasing, according to the Thai Road Accident Road Safety Centre.

Arsak Chaitonthuek, 46, the driver of the trailer truck, told police that he had been delivering goods from Bangkok to Sakon Nakhon, but the vehicle developed an engine problem at about 10pm Friday. He parked it along the roadside to await repairs in the morning. 

He placed piles of brushwood for a distance of over 100 metres from the truck to signal motorists that his vehicle was parked. He later went to sleep inside his vehicle and the crash woke him up. 

The force of the crash caused his truck to veer off the road. He immediately got out of the vehicle and found many passengers on the bus were injured. He alerted police and a rescue team.

Bus driver Somjit Prawanmata, 54, said he had left the Mor Chit bus terminal at about 9pm for Roi Et. He said he did not see the parked truck as it was very dark. By he time he did spot it, he braked hard but could not avoid hitting it.

However, police said they were not convinced by the bus driver’s claim as they did not see any skid marks. They suspected he might have fallen asleep at the wheel.

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