Officials confirm 23 people are missing in the tragic school bus fire in Thailand

The examination of the evidence cannot yet be carried out because the investigators are still collecting evidence at the crime scene, in particular recovering the bodies. Once this process is complete, forensic experts examine the vehicle and its fuel system to determine the exact cause of the accident.

In addition, the Ministry of Health coordinated to deploy a Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (MCATT) to the operations center to provide psychological support and counseling to parents and relatives and to follow up on the situation.

Kitrat expressed his condolences on the tragic school bus fire. The first cause is suspected to be a tire explosion, which generated sparks and ignited the gas cylinder on board, causing the fire to quickly spread throughout the passenger area.

Regarding the issue of the bus doors not opening, Kitrat explained that teachers mentioned that the incident happened very quickly and some managed to escape through the emergency exit, indicating that the doors were functional. However, it is believed that the victims were unable to get off the bus in time. Authorities will investigate whether the fire extinguishers were used on the bus.

The bus driver, who initially fled the scene, has now turned himself in to the police.

The investigation will now determine whether the accident was due to driver negligence and whether appropriate fire safety equipment was available. If the bus lacked such equipment, it would indicate that the emergency was not handled, potentially leading to a charge of negligence. Both the driver and the bus company would face legal action, he said.