At Least 28 Passengers Killed When A Bus Was Caught On Fire

[taxexile]

just watching channel 3 news , who are reporting a road accident involving a tour bus from yasothon to bangkok.

29 burnt and many injured.

anybody else hear anything ?

[taxexile]

At least 28 passengers killed when a coach was caught on fire

A packed Bangkok-bound coach was caught on fire on Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, burning to death at least 28 passengers.

The 40-seat bus left Yasothon at about 5am and its break system broke down as it approached Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.

When the problem was fixed, it continued its ride. However the engine was caught on fire, when it went downhill.

The fire raged to passengers' compartment and burnt to death 28 passengers.

The Nation

[george]

BREAKING NEWS:

At least 28 passengers killed when a coach was caught on fire

NAKHORN RATCHASIMA: -- A packed Bangkok-bound coach was caught on fire on Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, burning to death at least 28 passengers.

The 40-seat bus left Yasothon at about 5am and its break system broke down as it approached Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.

When the problem was fixed, it continued its ride. However the engine was caught on fire, when it went downhill.

The fire raged to passengers' compartment and burnt to death 28 passengers.

-- The Nation 2007-03-20

[cdnvic]

5am? Killed by fire, or asphyxiated by smoke while they slept?

[Crow Boy]

BREAKING NEWS:

At least 28 passengers killed when a coach was caught on fire

NAKHORN RATCHASIMA: -- A packed Bangkok-bound coach was caught on fire on Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, burning to death at least 28 passengers.

The 40-seat bus left Yasothon at about 5am and its break system broke down as it approached Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.

When the problem was fixed, it continued its ride. However the engine was caught on fire, when it went downhill.

The fire raged to passengers' compartment and burnt to death 28 passengers.

-- The Nation 2007-03-20

This is very sad news indeed. A tragedy and a horrible way to die

[iang]

Regardless of the circumstances, this is tragic - absolutely tragic.

My sympathy goes out to those injurred and the families of the deceased.

[Ellie]

How awful - those poor people. How on earth does something like this happen. Dreadful.

[wrecker]

I bet that the company ducks responsibility and the driver will get the blame. It is a real shame. Just avoid taking a bus, just any bus. They drive like mad men and the buses are seldom well maintaned. What a way to die.

[Tony Clifton]

How awful - those poor people. How on earth does something like this happen. Dreadful.

Here's how it happens, bus driver knows there a brake problem but still risks his passenger's lives along with his own. Even with a bus in perfect working order, too many of these guys still think they can stop on a satang.

Coming back from BKK today, I clocked a blue BKK-Pattaya bus doing 130 on the elevated expressway. Madness.

Edited March 20, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[loong]

No emergency exit?

[Merlin]

5am? Killed by fire, or asphyxiated by smoke while they slept?

The vast majority of Thais - especially country Thai people - go to bed early and get up early. They would have been just starting their day...

[seagull]

5am? Killed by fire, or asphyxiated by smoke while they slept?

"The fire raged to passengers' compartment and burnt to death 28 passengers."

So for now, we just have to take the report as it said. Until further reporting states otherwise.

Worst manner to die is by being burnt to death. My condolences to the families of the deceased.

[Tony Clifton]

Hard to find the exit when knocked unconscious or already dead from the impact.

Why do people think the driver was cautious with known brake problems, think like a Thai driver.

Edited March 20, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[prakhonchai nick]

It sems the accident was at 3pm when the bus was out of control and overturned and caught fire immediately. this followed a stop for brake problems.

With Songkran looming on the horizon, it is high time steps were taken to enforce bus speed limits especially. and to enforce all other traffic laws with top priority to motorcycles and the thousands of children let loose on them.

[Pattayaman]

So so sad,my thoughts are with the families and friends RIP

[taxexile]

aircon bus , the windows are fixed , i.e. not openable , the seat covers and plastics in the bus will ,i'm sure , be highly flammable and will give off toxic smoke .

they have just shown the bus on tv , its upright but in a roadside dip , completely burnt out. rescue workers were removing corpses off the smoking bus and lining them up under sheets on the side of the road.

it got under a minute of news coverage.

the following news item , a report on the chelsea v. tottenham game last night in london got about 3 minutes.

[turnip]

I was on a bus in south america that caught fire. i ended up in hospital for two months, my girlfriend died i never found out how many other people ultimately died. a fast moving non-aircon bus, ie ventilated via the windows, that catches fire can be engulfed in flames in seconds. the plastics and fabrics used in the seats / curtains wont have the same regulations as they do in the west - they burn quickly and produce thick black smoke in seconds. it is very hard to get out of a bus in those circumstances.

[Jaray]

What a tragedy.........any way to die is a bad way..........but being burned to death in a crashed bus!!!!!!!

I cannot even begin to image such horror.

My deepest sympathy to all the families and friends

[george]

CORRECTION:

At least 28 killed as bus bursts into flames in Saraburi

SARABURI: -- At least 28 people were killed and 14 seriously injured on Tuesday when a Bangkok-bound bus caught fire and careened down a hillside in Saraburi. The bus from Yasothorn caught fire on a major four lane highway in Saraburi.

After the fire broke out, the bus veered off the road and crashed down a hillside, police added.

Twenty-eight died, and their bodies were burned beyond recognition. An estimated 14 people were seriously injured.

Initial report said the bus left Yasothorn at about 5am and its break system broke down as it approached Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.

When the problem was fixed, it continued its ride. However the engine was caught on fire, when it went downhill in Saraburi.

-- The Nation 2007-03-20

[Ned]

Happens all the time here. It's awful and it's not sadness that I feel.

Songkran coming up with its 70 dead daily and hundreds and hundreds maimed.

Business as usual and change is slow. Reality Thai style.

[dishrace]

BREAKING NEWS:

At least 28 passengers killed when a coach was caught on fire

NAKHORN RATCHASIMA: -- A packed Bangkok-bound coach was caught on fire on Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, burning to death at least 28 passengers.

The 40-seat bus left Yasothon at about 5am and its break system broke down as it approached Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.

When the problem was fixed, it continued its ride. However the engine was caught on fire, when it went downhill.

The fire raged to passengers' compartment and burnt to death 28 passengers.

-- The Nation 2007-03-20

This is very sad news indeed. A tragedy and a horrible way to die

My Thai wife is from there...she has been on that bus...and says it is a "piece of shit" even by Thai standards on that leg of the "journey"...they have to transfer "up" to a more adequate "piece of shit" bus for the final leg into BKK as the authorities there wouldn't allow the first bus even in BKK...any idea how bad the bus was??

yea the Thai government really protects their people here...down south and all about...oh yea...helmets everyone...or you are sure to be stopped and fined daily...don't worry about athe driving...that doesn't matter!!

i leave soon after 5 years here...in teh beginning it was great and now...well

[axom_boy]

i just saw a bus on fire on paholyothin road going towards rangsit between ITZeer and Makro Rangsit.....while coming back form future park to bkk...

the whole back of the bus was on fire (where the AC engines is normally) and there was a car attached to it!! (no kidding).....the driver seemed to be taking the bus away.....traffic was stopped....

it seemed that maybe the car rammed to the back of the bus and then it might have started the fire....

i hope noone was hurt on this bus....but the fire was raging hard...

[Mai Krap]

What a horrible thing, The only surprise though is that it does not happen more often yet we hear about these horrible accidents more than enough. Rarely will you ever find a glass breaker mounted inside a bus to aid in escape. The entire design concept for safety on large windowed is the easy escape by breaking the glass in a emergency. In most cases the rear exit is also riveted shut, and sealed to keep the cool air in, just go over to Mo Chit and check it out. Another problem is the rearranging of the seats to add more seating again making the original design unsafe by the original safety standards and I wont even bother with the plastic seats in the isles. Is their anybody in government interested in these issues. I see the police ticketing motorcyclist for not wearing fake helmets yet those drivers are solely responsible for themselves. How is it there are no enforced safety standards for any public transportation?

I remember after the last Koh Samui boat accident that killed people with no life preservers. There was uproar in the news and then action taken which I viewed at Koh Chang where they displayed life jackets for every seat on the ferry and took pictures. This was followed by the removal of most of the life preservers onto another ferry so it too could have photographs taken to prove it was in compliance with the rules. It would only be a few months later when a ferry destined for Koh Kood overloaded with building supplies would sink killing 8 if I remember correctly, No uproar that time, It was if it never happened.

I rode the buses for a couple years on a regular basis, Every time I entered one I carried my own glass breaker and was fully prepared to use it. Thankfully I never experienced a bus accident first hand but I have seen to many to count and so many are just preventable by simple maintenance and basic safety standards. May God or gods have mercy on these poor unfortunate souls who burned alive today in this tragedy and may someone please lay down the law once and for all concerning the safety standards of public transportation in Thailand which are possibly the worst in the world by volume.

[mamastar]

Every time I entered one I carried my own glass breaker and was fully prepared to use it.

This sounds interesting, but where can you buy one?

[frodo]

i just saw a bus on fire on paholyothin road going towards rangsit between ITZeer and Makro Rangsit.....while coming back form future park to bkk...

the whole back of the bus was on fire (where the AC engines is normally) and there was a car attached to it!! (no kidding).....the driver seemed to be taking the bus away.....traffic was stopped....

it seemed that maybe the car rammed to the back of the bus and then it might have started the fire....

i hope noone was hurt on this bus....but the fire was raging hard...

My partner had seen that just a bit ago. From his account, a taxi hit the bus and for some reason the bus caught fire. Apparently it was an "industry bus," as he described it. One of those buses that picks up workers to and from work. Traffic was halted, and he mentioned that nobody seemed to be injured.

This morning while going to Mo Chit I did see that bus 29 was on the median divider. One side was ripped apart, and the bottom of the bus was also ripped in some places. I hope it wasn't the usual "pack em' like sardines" mentality that exists here.

Not a good day for buses. My condolences to those 29 people killed in Saraburi.

FR

[gbswales]

BREAKING NEWS:

At least 28 passengers killed when a coach was caught on fire

NAKHORN RATCHASIMA: -- A packed Bangkok-bound coach was caught on fire on Tuesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, burning to death at least 28 passengers.

The 40-seat bus left Yasothon at about 5am and its break system broke down as it approached Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.

When the problem was fixed, it continued its ride. However the engine was caught on fire, when it went downhill.

The fire raged to passengers' compartment and burnt to death 28 passengers.

-- The Nation 2007-03-20

I wonder just what would happen if a driver refused to take out a bus that he considered unsafe or refused to proceed after a temporary repair while on route - my guess is that he would not have a job for long! These are tragedies waiting to happen - how dreadfully sad this story is.

[dude007]

I often drive to Nongkhai and Vientiane and oblige myself to stay at a speed of maximum 100 Km/hour. I notice that almost no sedan cars, pick-ups or trucks overtake me, but almost all the buses do! They often drive speeds of over 120 Km/hour and chase you away from the fastest traffic lane! These drivers should be instantly removed from the vehicle, confiscated their driving license, forced to pay hefty fines and spend some time in jail. They don't need a bomb-belt, they just have their bus! They are potential mass-murderers and to make sure that they feel like this: treat them like this! The intention to kill is as bad as the killing itself!

[ednguyen]

Does anyone know which RTP/RTA general or other VIP is the owner/operator of said bus? Let's name names and stir the shit. Shed a little light on the subject. Mandatory inspection and certification. A safety manual. Passenger's rights. A general confession has been filed in your name at the church/wat of my choice.

[Tony Clifton]

Dream on. Business before safety. Business before environment. Business before anything that could interfere with business.

[jimbeam1]

It is all very worrying. I'm coming over for Songram, in a few weeks time. Girlfreind coming by bus to meet me at Bkk.

Any one know what the train service is like.

Condolances to all concerned. A terrible waste.

jb1