23 schoolchildren die during bus inferno in Thailand

Over 23 school children have been confirmed dead after a bus transporting school children crashed and went ablaze outside Bangkok.

The bus was returning to the Thai capital after a school trip to the north of the country when the tragic incident occurred.

It was gathered that 19 children and three teachers survived, with 16 currently receiving treatment in hospital for their injuries.

According to Witnesses stated the bus crashed into a concrete barrier dividing the highway just north of Bangkok after a front tire burst.

“The bus was quickly consumed by an intense fire, and many on board were unable to get out,” an eyewitness said. However, the cause of the fire remains unknown.

In response to the incidence, Thai Transport Minister Suriyahe Juangroongruangkit said in a statement on Tuesday that the bus was powered by “extremely risky” compressed natural gas.

“The ministry must find a measure… if possible, for passenger vehicles like this to be banned from using this type of fuel because it’s extremely risky,” he added.

Piyalak Thinkaew, who led the search, said identifying the bodies was challenging due to severe burns.

“Some of the bodies we found were very, very small,” he told reporters at the scene, explaining that the fire started at the front of the bus.

“The kids’ instinct was to escape to the back, so the bodies were there.”

During the search, the forensic police reported that of the 23 bodies found, 11 were male, seven female, and five unidentifiable.

The ages of the children on board remain unclear, but the school caters to pupils between three and 15 years old.

Additionally,Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, stated that the bus driver fled the site but authorities are confident he will be tracked down.

He further assured that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

“We have to investigate the tire marks, burning trace, and CCTV footage,” he said.