A van falls off expressway, killing at least eight

[hhfarang]

I wonder if this was coming from Hua Hin...

BANGKOK: -- A packed traffic transport van on Sunday plunged from an expressway onto Rama VI road before bursting into flames, killing at least eight.

The speedy van swerved and hit an expressway wall near Rama VI exit before plunging onto the road near Samsen School at about 5pm.

The van then burst into flames, police said, killing at the scene seven passengers. The dead were four women, two men, one boy and one girl.

Police believed there were altogether 11 passengers on board.

Police extinguished the blaze and rescue workers used equipment to cut the van to retrieve the injured passengers.

The wounded passengers were rushed to Ramathibodi and Wachira Hospitals.

Police sealed off the area to facilitate the rescue works. Motorists were told to avoid the road.

-- The Nation 2010-10-31

[lomuamart]

I was reading about elsewhere this morning and the original assumption was that the vehicle was chartered for a school outing. So it wasn't being used as a fare paying minibus service at the time.
The above is a bit sketchy though. However it turns out, a terrible loss of life and a sad reminder of just how crazy some minibus journeys can be.

[Nereus]

The Bangkok Post has this running:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... expressway

What a mess. The van burst into flames, but how the hell can it "fall" off the Expressway?

[Spitfire]

Yes Nereus, the terminology used is just garbage, "fall" , as if it was a freak uncontrollable accident, more like "crashed at raging speed due to mentally immature irresponsible driving.......again.". Probably on a straight piece of highway too.

Many times you see these prats that drive minivans carving chaos through the traffic, often being driven by people that have never owned a vehicle, or probably will ever have one of their own, it's the the work vehicle so it is to be trashed into 10 cm of hell and beyond all reason and recognition.

Haven't been in one of those death traps for a very long time and will not go anywhere near them.

There must be a few responsible minivan drivers around but they appear to be 'thin on the ground' somewhat.

[Randy Cornhole]

They speeded early to their grave never to enjoy the time they'd save.

[Nereus]

An update:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... ath-plunge

Another dies from death plunge

Another passenger of the van that fell from the expressway close to the Rama VI exit on Sunday evening, adding up the death toll to nine.

Eight people died immediately and nine others were injured in the plunge of the van running on liquefied gas, which put the vehicle in flames.

Pol Col Somsak Wimanrat, the Bang Sue police chief, said police would further investigate to find out what caused the incident.

Of the deaths, only two had been identified. They were Pichet Kluabthai and Lamduan Maophetchakaj. Attempts were being made to identify the others, he said.

Of the nine injured, six were admitted to Ramathibodi Hospital. They are Somchai Korkwamdee, 18, Veerapong Wongwai, 41, 12-year-old boy Thanachit Jongkham, 12, Janjira Phu-utha (woman), 17, Viroj Pansombat, 56, and 5-year-old boy Pongsakorn Kuna.

A man, Surachai Polchuay, 20, and a woman, Pannee Kuna, 23, were admitted to Phra Mongkut Hospital.

Pol Col Somsak said a 36-year-old woman, Orachorn Boonjue, who was admitted to Ratchavithee Hospital was last reported to have died. She was the ninth victim of the death plunge.

Pol Lt-Col Phada Akranithi, an expressway police investigator, said a preliminary investigation revealed that the van rammed into a concrete block marking an expressway branch and plunged below onto an area near Samsen Witthayalai School.

He said other other vehicles were found to have been involved.

However, police had yet to examine a nearby closed circuit television camera and question the injured who were still under treatment.

The van belonged SMT Leasing Co but police would find out if it had been leased or sold, Pol Lt-Col Phada said.

Dr Than Supataraphan, director of Ramathibodi Hospital, said in a press conference that of those admitted to the hospital Mr Veerapong was most serious, suffering 50 per cent burns. The man had been transferred to Chulalongkorn Hospital.

He said Pongsakorn, the 5-year-old boy, was still in a serious condition, sufferring 30 per cent burns.

Another boy, Thanachit, 12, sufferred 10 per cent burns and a broken left leg.

Mr Viroj, the van driver, sufferred from broken ribs and lung bleeding.

The hospital director said none of the injured had not been released although some of them appeared normal from the outside.

[poosmate]

Police believed there were altogether 11 passengers on board

Eight people died immediately and nine others were injured

Tragedy either way but if true........ 17 in a minivan