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BNAGKOK, Oct. 11 (AFP): At least 17 passengers were killed and more than a dozen injured on Sunday when a bus collided with a train in Thailand, authorities said.
The bus passengers were heading to a temple in Cha Choeng Sao province, two hours from the capital Bangkok, for a ceremony to mark the end of Buddhist Lent, a district police chief said.
“The death toll we have so far is 17,” he said, adding that the accident occurred around 8 am local time (0100 GMT).
Provincial Governor Maitree Tritilanond told reporters that some 29 people have been injured so far.
The first images of rescuers showed twisted metal and debris, with bodies lying next to the train tracks and people’s belongings strewn about.
The bus tipped over on its side, the top broke, and rescuers said a crane was needed to lift it.
The number of casualties and injuries is expected to increase.
These fatal accidents are common in Thailand, which regularly tops the lists of the world’s deadliest roads, with speeding, drunk driving, and poor law enforcement – all contributing factors.
According to a 2018 report by the World Health Organization, Thailand has the second highest traffic fatality rate in the world.
Although the majority of the victims are motorcyclists, bus accidents involving groups of tourists and migrant workers often make headlines.
In March 2018, at least 18 people were killed and dozens injured when a bus carrying people returning from their vacations in northeast Thailand ran off the road and crashed into a tree – AFP
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