YASOTHON, THAILAND – A pickup used as a school transport vehicle crashed in Yasothon province, injuring 18 children, two of them seriously.
Crash on rural road near Ban Na Seenual
The accident occurred on 27 January at around 6:30 p.m. on Chao Sadet Road near Ban Na Seenual, Village No. 5, in Nong Ruea subdistrict of Mueang Yasothon district. According to initial information, the pickup serving as a school shuttle left the roadway at the roadside and plunged down a slope.
All injured were pupils from several schools
The driver, N. Suthida, stated that all of the injured were schoolchildren she was taking home after classes. The children were to be driven home from several institutions, including Anuban Thong Khao (kindergarten/primary school), Tesaban 2 Samakkhi Watthana School, Suk Witthayakorn Tang Trong Chit 15 School and Anuban Yasothon.
“When we reached the accident site, the vehicle lost control and plunged off the road.”
said N. Suthida, driver of the school transport.
Two children seriously injured
At the scene, responders found the pickup badly damaged beside the road. A total of 18 children were injured, two of whom sustained serious injuries.
Rescue workers immediately transported all of the injured to Yasothon Hospital. No further details were initially available on the precise condition of the two seriously injured children.
Officials secure scene and open investigation
The district chief of Mueang Yasothon, Pattharaphon Sarakan, instructed Weerawat Kaewkong, district officer and head of administration, together with members of the local defence unit, to visit the crash site and provide support. Officers secured the area, coordinated the transport of the injured and began initial investigations into the cause of the vehicle’s loss of control.
School transport safety under renewed scrutiny
The crash again drew local authorities’ attention to the safety of school transport in rural regions, where many children rely on private or converted vehicles such as pickups. Local agencies were examining to what extent vehicle condition, driving practices and route planning for such services needed tighter monitoring to prevent future accidents with multiple child casualties.