20230123 Survivor recalls horror of Korat van 2re that killed
Thailand Jan 23 2023 “Automobile & Railway”
Dead : dead more than 10 Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 1 to 9
Survivor recalls horror of Korat van 2re that killed 11
Updated: 2023-01-23
A van crashed into the median ditch on the Mitrapap highway in Nakhon Ratchasima and went up in flames on Saturday night. Eleven people were burned to death, while one passenger was able to escape the vehicle and was admitted to hospital. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)
Eleven people, including two children, burned to death in a passenger van crash in Korat on Saturday night, police confirmed Monday.
The van carrying 12 people was travelling from northeastern Amnat Charoen province to Bangkok when it veered off the highway in central Nakhon Ratchasima province Saturday night, police said.
Police told AFP that one man had been able to climb out a window, but the other passengers were trapped and died in the blaze.
The survivor, Thanachit Kingkaew, a 20-year-old student, said he was asleep when he was jolted awake after hearing someone scream.
“I woke up and the next thing I know, the van was upside down. I didn’t see what happened,” he said.
“I started kicking the windows and managed to crawl through a small hole,” he said.
“Soon after that, the van exploded.”
A volunteer with a local rescue team said the van exploded just seconds after it was engulfed in flames.
“It took less than 30 seconds for the fire to consume the whole van,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything with the fire extinguisher I had. The van then
exploded three to four times.”
Police were still investigating what caused the vehicle to veer off the road.
Web Source: Bangkok Post