At least 10 killed in Bangkok school bus fire

Bangkok, Oct 1 (EFE).- At least 10 people were killed on Tuesday when a bus carrying school children on a field trip caught fire in metropolitan Bangkok, according to emergency teams.

The bus was carrying 38 students and six teachers from Wat Khao Phraya school in the province of Uthai Thani, about four hours from the capital.

At least 19 passengers escaped and the injured were taken to hospitals in the area, according to local media outlet Thai Public Broadcasting Service. Rescue teams were still searching for more passengers.

The bus caught fire shortly after noon on the Vibhavadi Rangsit highway, which runs through Bangkok, the outlet added.

The cause of the incident is not yet known and is being investigated.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra sent her condolences to the families of the victims in a statement and said that the government would cover the medical expenses of the survivors and compensation for the victims’ families.

«As a mother, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of the injured and deceased,» said the 38-year-old mother of two small children.

According to official documents, the school welcomes students from nursery school to around 15 years old, although the ages and identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed. EFE

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