Bus operator 'evades inspection' after fire incident

The Department of Land Transport (DLT) filed a police complaint on Thursday after learning that the operator of the tour bus that caught fire, killing 23 people, planned to evade inspection of gas canisters suspected to be the cause of the accident .

The gas-powered coach announced itself Panisara Shinabutr A school transporting students in Pathum Thani province caught fire on Tuesday, killing 20 students and 3 teachers.

DLT General Director Jirut Wisaljit said the department suspended the operator's public transport license and ordered Shinabutr Engineering (Thailand) Ltd, of which Panisara was a director, to send all five buses to the DLT office in Lopburi province for inspection.

However, the company failed to deliver the buses on time, Jirut said, adding that GPS data showed that the five buses were instead sent to a car repair shop in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Jirut said DLT investigators visited the shop and found that the gas canisters in the buses had been removed, in what was believed to be an attempt to conceal unauthorized and illegal modifications to the vehicles.

The department then filed a police complaint and asked the Royal Thai Police to investigate the company's actions so that it could file appropriate charges, Jirut said.