Owner of Thailand school bus that caught fire and killed 23 apologizes for tragedy
The owner of the bus company behind the school vehicle that caught fire and left at least 23 people dead has apologized for the tragedy.
According to a report by Thailand-based news outlet The Nation, Chinabut Tour Company owner Songwit Chinabut attended the funeral of the victims to personally ask for forgiveness from the families affected.
He also offered to compensate an amount of 50,000 baht (P85,105) for the 20 children and three teachers who were killed in the accident.
Chinabut promised that he will provide additional support in the future and assured that he will continue to help the other passengers who are still receiving treatment at a hospital.
The bus company was hired by the Khao Phraya Sangkaram School for a field trip to Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces. Things, however, turned for the worst when the bus carrying 40 people lost balance at its front right tire, hit another car, and scraped a concrete highway barrier. This caused sparks that triggered the fire.
The driver, identified by the police as Saman Chanput, has been arrested and charged with reckless driving causing deaths and injuries, failing to stop to help others, and failing to report the accident.
According to deputy regional police chief Chayanont Meesati, Chanput ran to grab a fire extinguisher from another bus that was part of the same trip, but couldn't put out the fire. He ran away out of panic.
The bus company has since been subjected to investigations as to whether it followed all safety standards.
While Chinabut explained that the vehicle was inspected for safety twice a year as required and that the gas cylinders had passed the safety standards, police found that a gas leak happened at the front of the bus.
Office of Police Forensic Science experts found that 11 tanks containing compressed natural gas had been installed on the bus, but five of them were not registered. The leak originated from one of the unregistered tanks, which engineers weren't able to check.