Eight of them remained in a critical condition suffering kidney, skin and respiratory problems, said Public Health Permanent Secre-tary Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot yesterday.

Fourteen were being treated at Saraburi Hospital, six at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital and three at Phra Buddhabaht Hospi-tal, Prat said.

Doctors were regularly measuring body fluids, administering painkillers every four hours and antibiotics to prevent infection, he said.

The belongings of 10 of those who died were being sent to Siriraj Hospital morgue to help with the body identification, he added.

At Maharat Nakhon Ratchasi-ma Hospital, the six patients from Maha Sarakham were not out of danger and doctors were concerned they might get infections resulting from too many visitors, said a source at the hospital.

Urai Sasombat, 52; Prajen Sab-sirirat, 54; Lamai Theuksiboon, 53; Theerayuth Pimthaisong, 18; Sirin Rattanatham, 15; and Tippawan Khaenwang, 14, had regained consciousness but were still in a critical condition.

Tippawan's 42-year-old father, Siriyan Khaenwang, tearfully said he was grieved by what had happened and seeing his daughter in such a terrible condition was very painful. Three of his family members were on the bus - Tippawan, Sirin and Tippawan's mother Boonpeng Srichum, who had yet to be identified from the charred bodies.

In Bangkok, many of the next of kin camped outside Siriraj Hospital morgue pending body identification. The morgue had so far released 11 bodies to their relatives.

A team of dentists were also brought in yesterday to check dental histories and help identify the charred bodies.

Aram Meunsai, whose 16-year-old nephew Weerapol Janthasri had not yet been identified, said he and seven relatives had travelled from Maha Sarakham to the hospital on Wednesday, but the identification team could not yet determine which of the bodies was his nephew.

They would wait for confirmation about undergoing DNA tests before returning home to wait for the hospital to notify them to collect the body, he said.

Meanwhile, representatives of Transport Co yesterday contacted the hospital for a list of the dead so they could go ahead with distributing the initial assistance money of Bt10,000 per family, a source at the hospital said.

However, no representatives from the bus company Sri Sa-nguan Yanyont Co or the insurance company had stepped in to help the relatives or the injured yet.

In a related development, the horrendous accident has prompted other provinces such as Tak, Nakhon Sawan and Phattalung to have all inter-city buses thoroughly checked to prevent such a tragedy recurring.

The Nation

Nakhon Ratchasima