KANCHANABURI - Thirty-seven Malaysian tourists were injured along with a Thai driver and guide when a tour bus skidded off a road in Bo Phloi district on Thursday afternoon.
The incident occurred between kilometre markers 14 and 15 on the Bo Phloi-Lat Ya Road, said police who were alerted at about 1.30pm on Thursday.
Police, rescue workers and medics who rushed to the scene found all 39 people on board the tour bus were injured, including 37 Malaysians. Some were seriously hurt.
More than 20 ambulances were deployed to the scene to take the injured to Bo Phloi Hospital. All rear tyres of the bus with Bangkok licence plates had burst and the windscreen was broken.
Driver Sarayu Daengdam, 44, told police that the bus had gone to Safari Park in Bo Phloi in the morning. At around 1pm, the bus left the zoo to take the tourists to a restaurant in downtown Muang district.
Mr Sarayu said that as he was attempting to overtake a 10-wheel truck, the steering wheel developed a problem and he was unable to control the bus. The bus skidded off the road and plunged into the roadside. Luckily, there were no vehicles travelling in the opposite direction, he said.
Tourist police visited the hospital where the injured tourists and the guide were being treated. The guide was badly hurt and transferred to another hospital.
Rescue workers help injured passengers from the tour bus into ambulances at the scene. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)