Main photo: From L; Pimthong Sombat, Kanokwan Sriphong and Saranya Homkesorn
Many people are wearing black today, including TV show hosts, in mourning for the victims, mostly schoolchildren, who died when their coach caught fire on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road yesterday.
The final death toll, including teachers, has still not been officially confirmed. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the scene of the accident yesterday, claimed that 25 passengers - 22 children and three teachers – had perished in the fire.
Trairong Phiwpan, head of the police forensic science unit, said, however, that they had found 23 bodies inside the bus.
The students, aged between 8 and 14, were on a one-day sightseeing trip from their school in Uthai Thani province to Ayutthaya province and were heading to Nonthaburi province when the accident occurred.
Social media platforms have been flooded with messages of condolence to the families of the deceased and those who were injured.
The Education Ministry is urging officials to wear black until Friday, as the country mourns the tragic loss of the students and two teachers, Kanokwan Sriphong and Pimthong Sombat.
A Facebook post by well-known volunteer Kan Chompalang, who is dedicated to helping victims of crime, states that Kanokwan’s body was found in the coach holding a student in her arms as both of them had burned to death.
Pimthong, meanwhile, was awarded a silver medal for “Best Practice” in promoting history and democracy among students this academic year while
A teaching assistant, Saranya Homkesorn, a senior university student in the Education faculty at Uthai Thani Buddhist College was also killed. She was about to finish her internship at the school in seven days and return to her studies when the accident happened."
Meanwhile, during a parliamentary session addressing the hardships faced by people today, all the MPs were seen wearing black and they expressed their condolences to the families of the victims when they rose to speak.
Pheu Thai party MPs will wear black for three days, according to Pheu Thai MP for Surin province, Khrumanit Sungpoom.
