Surin:A school van experienced brake failure, resulting in a crash into a power pole and injuring 18 children. The incident occurred around 700 AM on the Surin-Sikhoraphum road near a PTT gas station in the Salakdai Subdistrict of Mueang Surin District. The white Toyota van, bearing Surin license plates, was found severely damaged at the scene.
According to Thai News Agency, rescue workers used hydraulic cutters to free a 7-year-old girl named "Nong Milin," whose right leg was trapped in the dashboard. The rescue operation took nearly an hour before she was transported to Surin Hospital. Among the injured were two kindergarten children, and all students were reported to be conscious, with two admitted for close monitoring.
The accident involved a sequence of collisions, first with a Toyota pickup truck and then a Chevrolet pickup truck. The van driver, Mr. Kantapat, 48, stated that he attempted to brake when a pickup truck cut in front of him, but the brakes failed, causing him to lose control and crash. The Chevrolet driver noted that the van was speeding before it rear-ended the first pickup, which then hit his vehicle.
Authorities plan to summon the drivers of all three vehicles to the Surin City Police Station for questioning and will review CCTV footage to ascertain the cause of the accident.