NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand – A university study tour bus returning from a camp collided with the rear of a pig truck on Phetkasem Road in Nakhon Pathom, injuring over 30 people, October 14. The injured have been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Police from Mueang Nakhon Pathom Station responded to the accident, which occurred on the inbound lane towards Bangkok, near the OTOP product center in Mueang District. Rescue teams from the Nakhon Pathom Sukhsalanukroh Foundation assisted in transporting the injured to hospitals. Initial reports indicated that 34 students, ranging from first- to fourth-year, were taken to Bangkok Sanamchan Hospital and Sinphaet Hospital. A total of 47 students were on the bus.
At the scene, students from another tour bus helped move belongings from the damaged bus, whose front windshield was shattered and side doors jammed shut. The driver opened the rear door to evacuate the injured.
According to fellow students, they were on a study tour to Suan Phueng in Ratchaburi Province in two buses. While returning, the bus collided with the rear of a pig truck when the truck suddenly braked. The impact caused many students to be thrown around inside the bus. The bus driver initially tried to open the side doors, but when they wouldn’t budge, he used the rear door to help the injured exit the bus.
Sinsai, the pig truck driver, reported that he was transporting 130 pigs from a farm in Ratchaburi to Nakhon Pathom. He stated that traffic was heavy and vehicles were following closely when a car suddenly cut in front of him, causing him to brake abruptly. The bus behind him couldn’t stop in time, resulting in the collision. (TNA)
