Picture from responders.

 

A crash in Tha Maka district, Kanchanaburi, claimed the lives of a woman and her six-year-old daughter after their car veered off the road and plunged into an irrigation canal. The driver, a 36-year-old health official, survived but was left in shock as his wife and child drowned before his eyes.

 

The incident occurred at around midday on 12 March, along the canal-side road in Moo 6, Don Cha-em subdistrict. Police Lieutenant Colonel Charan Krajangjam, an officer from Tha Maka Police Station, received reports of a car submerged in the canal with people trapped inside. Emergency services, including divers from the Khun Rattanawut Foundation, were immediately dispatched to the scene.

 

Upon arrival, rescuers found a grey Honda Jazz, registered in Bangkok, submerged in the canal. Local village headman Jirayu Champathai and a passing motorist attempted to assist by breaking the car’s windows, successfully pulling the driver to safety using a rope. However, before further rescue efforts could be made, the car was swept away by the water.

 

Divers later retrieved the vehicle, discovering the lifeless bodies of the driver’s wife, a 33-year-old woman, and their young daughter in the back seat. Inside the car, personal belongings, including toys, a water bottle, and a bag of clothes, were found. The vehicle itself was severely damaged.

 

The bereaved father, identified as Nanchai, was inconsolable as he held the hands of his wife and daughter after their bodies were recovered.

 

Friends of the deceased confirmed that he worked for the Ministry of Public Health and had travelled to Kanchanaburi for a meeting. He had taken an unfamiliar route, while colleagues who arrived earlier had used a different road. It is believed that unfamiliarity with the area contributed to the crash.

 

Local leader Jirayu Champathai noted that the canal-side road has a history of frequent crashes, with multiple fatalities reported. He urged authorities to take urgent action to improve safety measures and prevent further tragedies.

 

The police are continuing their investigation into the incident.

 

-- 2025-03-13

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

Local leader Jirayu Champathai noted that the canal-side road has a history of frequent crashes, with multiple fatalities reported. He urged authorities to take urgent action to improve safety measures and prevent further tragedies.

Now that a death of a government officials' family is involved (unlike all. the other fatalities involving regular citizens),  the request for action to make the road safer may be heard.....