CHIANG MAI - A volunteer returning home after a long, tiring day fighting wildfires was killed when his motorcycle ran off a hill road on Sunday night.
Manit Sawansu, 62, was a volunteer ranger at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant conservation. He had been fighting wildfires in an area of Khun Khan National Park in Samoeng district.
He was among the 26 people battling the flames near Kong Khak Luang village in tambon Samoeng Tai from 1.30pm until about 8pm on Sunday, Thaweewat Daengmanee, chief of Khun Khan National Park, said on Monday.
Other workers returning home found his body and his motorcycle about 8.30pm, two metres down the slope off the side of the road, Mr Thaweewat said.
He said Manit was elderly and possibly exhausted by the toils of the day, and this could have contributed to the accident.
His body was taken to Samoeng Hospital for postmortem examination to identify the cause of his death.
“This is yet another loss, a person who gave his life to help save the country’s natural resources,” he said.
A picture taken on Sunday shows volunteer Manit Sawansu, on the right in the red circle, with other members of his firefighting team. He died a few hours later. (Photo: Panumate Tanraksa)