Fatal Saraburi accident: Tests needed to identify many victims of bus crash

[webfact]

FATAL ACCIDENT
Tests needed to identify many victims of bus crash
Noppadon Sritaweekart
The Nation



Six of 19 killed in Saraburi collision known late yesterday

SARABURI: -- Forensic experts are working to identify victims whose bodies were burnt beyond recognition after a horror bus crash in Kaeng Khoi in Saraburi early yesterday.

The tragedy, which claimed 19 lives, has prompted Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt to consider additional measures such as safety briefings for people on interprovincial buses.

The Roi Et-Bangkok bus, operated by Transport Co Ltd, was travelling on Mittraphap Road - the main route to the Northeast - when it was hit by a trailer-truck going the opposite direction, which ran across a safety island and crashed into it. The impact caused the two-level bus to catch fire.



As well as the 19 deaths, some 20 passengers were injured. Most of those killed died inside the bus and their bodies were burnt.

"Preliminary investigation suggests the driver of the trailer-truck fell asleep behind the wheel," Pol First Lieutenant Assavathep Jantanaree, an officer at Kaeng Khoi police station, said.

Truckdriver Sa-ard Boonyang, 29, survived the accident and is being treated at the Kaeng Khoi Hospital.

At press time, officials had only identified six of the dead. Saraburi volunteers with the Ruamkatanyu Foundation said the bus driver was among those killed.

Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM) commander Pol Maj-General Dr Pornchai Suthirakhun said autopsies would determine if the deceased died before flames reached them.

"The level of carbon monoxide in their bodies will be the key indicator," he said.

For victims with dental records, he said the identification process could be completed within one day.

"For victims without dental records, the process will be longer because it involves DNA testing of their parents or children," Pornchai said. With the DNA tests, the process could be done within 48 hours.

Parichat Boonmueang, 31, said she was able to identify the body of her supervisor Sakhon Sawasdiphon from a ring he wore.

"He made a phone call to his elder sister right after the accident took place. He told her that he was trapped inside the bus," she said.

Chadchart said the GPS record showed that the bus was travelling at a speed of 78 kilometres an hour at the time of the accident.

"That's not very fast," he said.

While he did not think the crash occurred because of any fault of the bus firm, he said he would meet with the company's top executive today to discuss on safety measures for buses.

Transport Co Ltd is a state enterprise under the supervision of the Transport Ministry.

"We will discuss on additional safety measures. Perhaps, we can improve the design of emergency-exit doors or provide safety briefings to passengers the way flight passengers do once they get on an aircraft," the minister said.

Chadchart said the bus firm and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department had been instructed to set up a centre to take care of crash victims and their relatives. "Kaeng Khoi police station serves as the coordination centre," he said.

-- The Nation 2013-07-24

[rookball]

the truck driver actually survived?!

[CelticBhoy]

the truck driver actually survived?!

Looking at that picture it is very hard to imagine that he did, but it is true.

[gemini81]

78 kilos is fast indeed when you have drivers with regard only for time and not human life.

[paulklee]

Is there any report on which lane the bus was travelling? Mittraphap Road is a minimum 2 often 3 lane (each way) highway. I travel that road quite a lot and most buses insist on sticking to the outside lane. Of course, if anything wanders across from the other carriageway, being in the outside lane is the worst place to be with respect to time to take avoiding action.

You see so many near things - and occasionally actual RTCs on the Mittraphap Road it's a wonder there isn't a bigger death toll every week.

[darren84310]

78 kilos is fast indeed when you have drivers with regard only for time and not human life.

If the driver of the bus was in a hurry and driving without regard for human life, then surely he would have been driving faster than 78kph?

This poor guy is dead and it seems like it was not his fault at all... 78kph is a very reasonable speed to be travelling at given that it's a dual-carriageway.

Your comments are out of place and out of order.

Luckily his family almost certainly won't get to read them!

We know that many drivers here drive in the manner of which you are suggesting, but please don't just sit at your computer praying for an accident so that you can get in your worthless piece of information!!! without engaging your brain before doing so.

[monkeycountry]

"We will discuss on additional safety measures. Perhaps, we can improve the design of emergency-exit doors or provide safety briefings to passengers the way flight passengers do once they get on an aircraft," the minister said."

Whatever you do Mr. minister, make sure not to take advise from foreign countries, especially western countries, with decades of proven track records of bus safety and general road safety. Always invent your own solutions from scratch and make sure those solutions are not based on any form of science or tests.

Hint: put a barrier between the roads. This will prevent head on collissions caused by sleeping drivers, faulty brakes or whatever. But of course, inflight safety instructions to the passengers might do the trick, who knows

Edited July 24, 2013 by monkeycountry

[DoctorG]

I hope they can come up with more than "passenger safety briefings".

[belg]

imagine is the gas containers of the truck would have exploded on impact...they would be all dead

RIP

[Salapoo]

Trapped and burning to death. Not a nice way to go. Remember the same news from a minivan accident heading towards Chonburi a month or two ago. Around 7 trapped inside and burnt to death.

The safety minister can do and say what he wants, it won't change the mindset of the people here, so massive, horrific, deadly accidents will continue. I don't think that Thais are capable of changing their ways and their driving culture.

[thailand49]

Having a background in transportation safety at home in the States I get sick to my stomach when I read accidents such as what happen here. I get even more sick reading reading statement from this so call Transportation Minister who has no business or experience being in this job!

In this particular accident from the investigator it was clearly the tractor trailer fault! Period, read it! IT WAS REPORTED HE FELL ASLEEP!

What business or reason in this particular accident would you address safety for buses before addressing and developing a system to Nationally vet these commercial drivers and get them off the road. The biggest problem this Minister should be working on is develop and enforcing the hours that they are allow to drive on the road. I have heard stories from Thais driving 16 hours and such and laughing about it!

This reasoning is why nothing has been done just talk accident after accident, these vehicles weighs tons and are killing machines on the road no different than a gun. And when this Government and Ministry recognize the problem and have the guts to actually do something instead of worrying where their next bribe is coming from more lives will die! Driving is a privilege not a right as the Thais have been lead to believe!

Really sad and avoidable! R.I.P.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Scott

[alfalfa19]

78 kilos is fast indeed when you have drivers with regard only for time and not human life.

If the driver of the bus was in a hurry and driving without regard for human life, then surely he would have been driving faster than 78kph?

This poor guy is dead and it seems like it was not his fault at all... 78kph is a very reasonable speed to be travelling at given that it's a dual-carriageway.

Your comments are out of place and out of order.

Luckily his family almost certainly won't get to read them!

We know that many drivers here drive in the manner of which you are suggesting, but please don't just sit at your computer praying for an accident so that you can get in your worthless piece of information!!! without engaging your brain before doing so.

Well said.

[Scott]

A number of posts have been deleted, including inflammatory posts, troll posts and replies to them. Also posts which violate this rule:

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

Please follow the rules when posting.

[laurentbkk]

I just hope for full recovery for all injured and my condolences to the family of lost one . Always a tragedy when it happens and so often .. We can only watch the news and feel sorry for the system here. Hope some people will one day wake up and decide to change that system for good .... so we can avoid such accidents in the future.

[jambodave]

Every bus and truck should be fitted with speed limiters,Every bus and truck should be fitted with a tachograph to record drivers working hours and maybe a more stringent driving test.These things will never be introduced because they will involve spending money.

[MobileContent]

78 kilos is fast indeed when you have drivers with regard only for time and not human life.

78km's is legal and I have been often on a VIP Express bus. I know even some drivers that are on the Sakon Nakhon route because they most of the time drive the same routes daily. Lets not put VIP Express in the same category as the 407 bus company which often had breakdowns and deadly accidents for speeding.

I can easily book a bus from Morchit to Sakon Nakhon that takes only 8 hours and VIP most of the time needs 11 hours because they drive slower compared to other bus companies.

If you would have ever sit on a VIP Express compared to the 407 bus company, you would know the difference but it looks like you might have never taken a bus in Thailand for long distance travel.

[SCARLETIBIS1]

"We will discuss on additional safety measures. Perhaps, we can improve the design of emergency-exit doors or provide safety briefings to passengers the way flight passengers do once they get on an aircraft," the minister said."

Whatever you do Mr. minister, make sure not to take advise from foreign countries, especially western countries, with decades of proven track records of bus safety and general road safety. Always invent your own solutions from scratch and make sure those solutions are not based on any form of science or tests.

Hint: put a barrier between the roads. This will prevent head on collissions caused by sleeping drivers, faulty brakes or whatever. But of course, inflight safety instructions to the passengers might do the trick, who knows

Yeah, let's blame the passengers. If they knew where the doors were they could have gotten out. Or better yet, if they wouldn't have been on the bus they wouldn't have died. Good idea to brief the passengers. Most of them probably don't know where the door is located to get out when they get in an accident. Geesz. Maybe they are gonna put in the slides like the airplanes.

Some brain surgeon wrote in a previous post that, "We forget, Thailand is a "developing country" - safety, accountability, and thinking of the "what ifs" is not part of the culture--yet." Culture doesn't give one common sense. Common sense gives one common sense. Or maybe I am wrong. Maybe common sense is nothing more than a gene in one's brain. If that is true I want to apologize to the 1% of Thai bus, truck and van drivers who don't drive like idiots. Car drivers are probably at 50%. LOL

[metisdead]

A post commenting on moderation has been removed.

[Just1Voice]

To me, the ONLY way the driver of the truck could have survived is if he jumped from the truck just before impact. No way on earth he survives if he was behind the wheel on impact.

RIP to the dead, and hope for good recovery for the survivors, but these stories are happening on a weekly basis, usually more than once. When, in the name of all that is holy or sane, is this country ever going to get of their collective backsides and actually start to DO something?

Driver training and testing? - Doesn't exist.

Regular preventative maintenance on busses? - Only if something obvious breaks.

International safety standards? - Nope. We're Thai, so we don't need any help or advice from "Farang Land".

It has passed the stage of "ridiculous" a long time ago.

[drdoom6996]

78 kilos is fast indeed when you have drivers with regard only for time and not human life.

If the driver of the bus was in a hurry and driving without regard for human life, then surely he would have been driving faster than 78kph?

This poor guy is dead and it seems like it was not his fault at all... 78kph is a very reasonable speed to be travelling at given that it's a dual-carriageway.

Your comments are out of place and out of order.

Luckily his family almost certainly won't get to read them!

We know that many drivers here drive in the manner of which you are suggesting, but please don't just sit at your computer praying for an accident so that you can get in your worthless piece of information!!! without engaging your brain before doing so.

That is 45.467 miles per hour and is not fast. I have to agree with darren84310.

[Cuban]

In every country where there are roads there are drivers that push the limits of their ability to drive long hours to make money.

In developed countries there is a recognition of this fact and the impact of poor choices so they imposed and enforced use of driver hours monitoring. with either log book or automated tachometers that are checked.

There is already a well establish network of police check point and roadside weigh-stations that could enforce driver hours checking.

If there was the political will to "do something effective" the problem of sleepy drivers this problem could be reduced with the reliance on sugary "energy" drinks and running away from the scene.

[drdoom6996]

To me, the ONLY way the driver of the truck could have survived is if he jumped from the truck just before impact. No way on earth he survives if he was behind the wheel on impact.

RIP to the dead, and hope for good recovery for the survivors, but these stories are happening on a weekly basis, usually more than once. When, in the name of all that is holy or sane, is this country ever going to get of their collective backsides and actually start to DO something?

Driver training and testing? - Doesn't exist.

Regular preventative maintenance on busses? - Only if something obvious breaks.

International safety standards? - Nope. We're Thai, so we don't need any help or advice from "Farang Land".

It has passed the stage of "ridiculous" a long time ago.

What about the truck drivers (Large cargo trucks) that have no training and lose their jobs if they don't get from point A to point B in a certain amount of time?

[Halion]

"We will discuss on additional safety measures. Perhaps, we can improve the design of emergency-exit doors or provide safety briefings to passengers the way flight passengers do once they get on an aircraft," the minister said."

Whatever you do Mr. minister, make sure not to take advise from foreign countries, especially western countries, with decades of proven track records of bus safety and general road safety. Always invent your own solutions from scratch and make sure those solutions are not based on any form of science or tests.

Hint: put a barrier between the roads. This will prevent head on collissions caused by sleeping drivers, faulty brakes or whatever. But of course, inflight safety instructions to the passengers might do the trick, who knows

You hit the nail right on the head. Following this dreadful accident will be a flurry of relatively mundane and meaningless rhetoric concerning preventative actions without much concern in addressing the cause which is the reckless driving habits, poor maintainance,road conditions and lack of enforcement of even the most rudementary traffic laws. Improved safety measures will be of some help in reducing road carnage on public transport however it will only address the effect and not the cause.

[drdoom6996]

78 kilos is fast indeed when you have drivers with regard only for time and not human life.

If the driver of the bus was in a hurry and driving without regard for human life, then surely he would have been driving faster than 78kph?

This poor guy is dead and it seems like it was not his fault at all... 78kph is a very reasonable speed to be travelling at given that it's a dual-carriageway.

Your comments are out of place and out of order.

Luckily his family almost certainly won't get to read them!

We know that many drivers here drive in the manner of which you are suggesting, but please don't just sit at your computer praying for an accident so that you can get in your worthless piece of information!!! without engaging your brain before doing so.

Well said.

Well Said Again!

[britinthai]

Having a background in transportation safety at home in the States I get sick to my stomach when I read accidents such as what happen here. I get even more sick reading reading statement from this so call Transportation Minister who has no business or experience being in this job!

In this particular accident from the investigator it was clearly the tractor trailer fault! Period, read it! IT WAS REPORTED HE FELL ASLEEP!

What business or reason in this particular accident would you address safety for buses before addressing and developing a system to Nationally vet these commercial drivers and get them off the road. The biggest problem this Minister should be working on is develop and enforcing the hours that they are allow to drive on the road. I have heard stories from Thais driving 16 hours and such and laughing about it!

This reasoning is why nothing has been done just talk accident after accident, these vehicles weighs tons and are killing machines on the road no different than a gun. And when this Government and Ministry recognize the problem and have the guts to actually do something instead of worrying where their next bribe is coming from more lives will die! Driving is a privilege not a right as the Thais have been lead to believe!

Really sad and avoidable! R.I.P.

Well put. Have you ever seen lines of trucks on the highway, wondering why they are all parked there, it because they know the police are further down the road waiting for them - a kind of stale mate; the trucks are losing revenue - the police are losing traffic or tea money fines. The stupid thing is the police could get off their rear ends and fine the truck drivers for parking in an unauthorised area, but they don't. Most readers here may be surprised to learn that Thailand does have traffic laws that would stem a lot of these kind of accidents, but the integrity of the police is just not there to demand respect from the public to abide by traffic laws. As stated before the police is riddled from top to bottom with corruption; we can all see this especially at the end of month when rents/bank loans have to be paid, with the worst period being the back to school terms, where school fees have to be paid.

This is a very sad accident, but until the corrupt culture of the Thai police is stopped, we will read more articles of such accidents.

Edited July 24, 2013 by britinthai

[Anon999]

78 kilos is fast indeed when you have drivers with regard only for time and not human life.

If the driver of the bus was in a hurry and driving without regard for human life, then surely he would have been driving faster than 78kph?

This poor guy is dead and it seems like it was not his fault at all... 78kph is a very reasonable speed to be travelling at given that it's a dual-carriageway.

Your comments are out of place and out of order.

Luckily his family almost certainly won't get to read them!

We know that many drivers here drive in the manner of which you are suggesting, but please don't just sit at your computer praying for an accident so that you can get in your worthless piece of information!!! without engaging your brain before doing so.

Well said.

Well said an inane comment indeed.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Anon999

[deecee10]

Someone will be blamed eg. in this case, the truck driver and that will be that - human error.

In a wider context, minimal attention will be given to the condition of the roads, the roadworthiness of vehicles, the skill level and attitude of the drivers etc.

[gemini81]

78 kilos is fast indeed when you have drivers with regard only for time and not human life.

If the driver of the bus was in a hurry and driving without regard for human life, then surely he would have been driving faster than 78kph?

This poor guy is dead and it seems like it was not his fault at all... 78kph is a very reasonable speed to be travelling at given that it's a dual-carriageway.

Your comments are out of place and out of order.

Luckily his family almost certainly won't get to read them!

We know that many drivers here drive in the manner of which you are suggesting, but please don't just sit at your computer praying for an accident so that you can get in your worthless piece of information!!! without engaging your brain before doing so.

You misread my brief comment, stating 78 kilos can still be fast upon impact, if someone plows into your car at that speed (speeding. overtaking or asleep). I try to avoid driving here at night and if I do I do it ever so slowly; especially on highways or when they're over taking me.....or flashing their brights..

Nonetheless, thanks for your arrogant keyboard warrior comments.

Edited July 24, 2013 by gemini81

[Anon999]

To me, the ONLY way the driver of the truck could have survived is if he jumped from the truck just before impact. No way on earth he survives if he was behind the wheel on impact.

RIP to the dead, and hope for good recovery for the survivors, but these stories are happening on a weekly basis, usually more than once. When, in the name of all that is holy or sane, is this country ever going to get of their collective backsides and actually start to DO something?

Driver training and testing? - Doesn't exist.

Regular preventative maintenance on busses? - Only if something obvious breaks.

International safety standards? - Nope. We're Thai, so we don't need any help or advice from "Farang Land".

It has passed the stage of "ridiculous" a long time ago.

The lorry driver may have been thrown out on impact. If he was sleeping it's unlikely he would have jumped out.

What has bus maintenance got to do with this disaster? Also driver training, does that stop drivers from falling asleep? Didn't you read the article? Limiting the permitted driving hours for all commercial vehicle and PSV drivers is what would make a difference.

International safety standards in a head on collision of this nature, you can't be serious.

Until Armco barriers or another type of crash barrier are installed on all dual carriageway centre reservations these type of crashes will happen. This section of that road just had a grass strip and a few trees.

RIP the deceased, get well soon to the injured and condolences to the relatives and friends.

[DGIE]

Terrible!

Life is so short that we do not expect it to end any hour