Reuters reported that on February 26, local police said that at least 18 people were killed and 31 others were injured in a bus accident early in the morning of the same day in Nadi district, Prachinburi province, eastern Thailand.
According to Colonel Sophon Phramaneehe, the brake broke down, the driver lost control while the vehicle was going downhill, causing the vehicle to flip over into the ditch.
The police officer said that there were a total of 49 people on the bus, all of whom were Thai citizens, including the driver.
Social media images show rescue and medical forces at the scene in Prachinburi province, 155 km east of Bangkok, helping victims near the overturned bus with the ground clearing.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed his condolences to the victims' families and said an investigation is underway.
If any violations are detected related to the use of substandard vehicles or reckless driving, legal measures will be taken, Ms. Shinawatra wrote on social network X.
The Thai Prime Minister noted that vehicles must be inspected for safety and meet standards before being put into use to prevent accidents and minimize damage
According to Reuters, serious traffic accidents are quite common in Thailand due to not strictly implementing vehicle safety standards and degraded roads.
According to the 2023 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), Thailand ranked 9th out of 175 member countries in terms of traffic accident deaths.
Last year, a school bus caught fire due to a leak in a gas tank, killing 23 people, including 16 students.
