Passengers escape unhurt as bus catches fire in Khon Kaen
All 30 passengers escaped unhurt after their bus caught fire in Khon Kaen on Monday, just days after a similar incident on a Bangkok-bound coach in Saraburi left 30 passengers dead and dozens injured.
The bus, travelling from Nakhon Ratchasima to Udon Thani, was passing through Khon Kaen's Ban Had sub district on the Mitraparp Highway at 3.30pm when its engine caught fire. Fearing a repeat of the Saraburi mishap, the bus driver promptly pulled over and evacuated all the passengers safely. Meanwhile, the president of the Private Bus Operators Association, Sujinda Cherdchai, has objected the Land Transport Department's proposal to retire buses after 10 years of use and to have them undergo checks every two years, which were launched amid claims that the Saraburi accident was caused by mechanical problems arising from the age of the bus. Sujinda, the owner of Thailand's biggest bus assembly garage, insisted that disposing of buses after only 10 years was not practical, and said conducting inspections every two years was unnecessary because bus operators already conducted regular checks on their own. The greater number of checks would affect maintenance expenses and, subsequently, bus fares, she said. Sujinda urged the department to inform the association about its proposed measures and to organise a meeting of bus operators nationwide to discuss them. While condoling with the victims' families, Sujinda said the punishment should be upon individuals. Her association will help pay the lawyers' fees in a lawsuit in demand compensation for the victims, she said. Meanwhile, Nakhon Ratchasima transport official Anusorn Withurakorn said his office would tighten checks on the condition of buses and increase tests on drivers' bloodalcohol levels to prevent a reoccurrence of the tragedy, especially during the Songkran Festival next month. Buses that fail the checks will be suspended from service immediately, he said. In an update on the condition of 23 passengers injured in the Saraburi accident, the Public Health Ministry yesterday said eight critically wounded patients were stable. However they are still suffering from fever and tissue death and are being watched for infections. Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital morgue has so far released 14 bodies to victims' relatives. The Nation
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