PATHUM THANI, THAILAND – A pickup carrying 13 people crashed into an irrigation canal near Rangsit, leaving seven injured and several others dead or initially missing.
Night-time crash at Klong 13
The accident occurred at about 10 p.m. along the Klong Rangsit Prayunsak road near the junction with Klong 13 in Bueng Nam Rak subdistrict, Thanyaburi district, according to police. Police Lieutenant Puttipong Yokkhom, an investigator at Thanyaburi police station, received a report that a pickup had left the roadway and plunged into the canal. Station commander Colonel Charin Athipthanan, district officials, traffic police and rescue teams from several organisations responded to the scene.
Villagers jump into canal to save passengers
Near a sluice structure in the irrigation system, local residents had already begun rescue efforts. Several villagers jumped into the canal and pulled seven people – four men and three women – from the water. The rescued passengers suffered head injuries and bruises to arms and elbows and were taken by municipal rescue units to nearby hospitals.
Myanmar nationals returning from religious trip
Initial information indicated the injured were Myanmar nationals. According to their statements, a total of 13 people, including the driver, had been in the pickup. The group was returning from a religious excursion in Chonburi province and was on the way back to its accommodation when the driver lost control of the vehicle.
The pickup hit an obstacle and then plunged into the canal, leaving six passengers initially missing in the water. Personal documents, including passports and papers, were lost with the vehicle.
Witnesses describe high speed before impact
Residents living near the crash site said the pickup had been travelling from Nakhon Nayok toward Rangsit. A metal frame covered with a tarpaulin was mounted on the cargo bed. One resident said the vehicle had passed at high speed on the straight stretch shortly before he heard of the accident.
Another witness, who was sitting with friends on the opposite side, recounted hearing a loud bang:
“We heard the pickup hit the barrier before it plunged into the water. We jumped in and were able to save seven people, but others remained trapped in the vehicle.”
said a local resident, one of the rescuers.
Police suspect driver unfamiliar with road
An initial police assessment suggested the driver might not have known the route well. The previously straight road makes a sharp bend at the crash site to avoid the irrigation canal. Investigators believed the vehicle hit the concrete barrier in the curve and then fell into the water.
Divers recover bodies as investigation continues
During the night, divers from the Por Teck Tung Foundation searched the murky canal and recovered three bodies. Other rescue teams continued searching for the remaining missing passengers while preparing to retrieve the pickup with a tow truck. Police said they would further examine the exact circumstances of the crash, including speed, the driver’s familiarity with the route and the driver’s condition.