Rain Turns Nightmare: Bus Overturns in Thai Highway Crash

Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

In a frightening ordeal early this morning, 18 passengers found themselves trapped when their bus collided with a trailer, crashed into a lamppost, and overturned on its side. The accident unfolded around 12:30 am on February 18 near the CPF chicken plant on Highway 24 in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.

Police Colonel Chokchai was alerted to the scene at kilometre marker 58+725 on the Chok Chai-Det Udom Road. Emergency volunteers from Hook 31, Chok Chai point, quickly joined the efforts.

Upon arrival, responders discovered the intercity bus from the Ubon Ratchathani-Pattaya-Rayong route precariously resting on its side in a roadside ditch, its entry-exit door blocked. Tricky conditions from the year's first light rain had made the roads dangerously slippery, causing the driver to lose control.

With passengers trapped inside and the risk of electrical hazard from the damaged lamppost, rescuers carefully evacuated the stranded travelers through the bus's emergency roof exit in a tense operation lasting over 20 minutes.

All passengers, including eight men and 10 women predominantly from Ubon Ratchathani province, were safely extracted and taken to Chok Chai Hospital. Four required further observation, while the others were treated for minor injuries and released.

Initial investigations reveal the bus, which had departed Ubon Ratchathani Bus Terminal, slipped on the wet road, leading to its collision with a trailer and lamppost before overturning. Authorities are probing to determine the exact cause of this unfortunate incident, reported The Thaiger.