Dozens of schoolchildren injured after bus crashes down ravine on day trip

Dozens of schoolchildren and parents on a day trip have been injured after a bus’s brakes failed before plunging down a ravine.

Six coaches, carrying more than 300 passengers, were travelling to Saiyok waterfall in Kanchanaburi, western Thailand for a one-day trip yesterday (June 27).

The buses were driving down a steep and deep mountain when the third bus in the convoy skidded to avoid a fallen motorcycle in the middle of the road.

Driver Witoon Phadungrojwit, 67, tried to stop the bus but the brakes failed, causing it to hit the motorcycle then spin out of control down the hill.

The bus smashed into several electric poles and road fences. It eventually careered off the road plunged down a hillside.

Miraculously, trees and rocks prevented it from falling any further - which would have seen it tumble down a 165ft high cliff.

Thirty-five passengers, including the youngsters and their parents as well as several teachers, were injured in the crash and taken to hospital.

Speaking after, the driver Witoon said: “I was shocked when the brakes failed. I even asked the bus conductor to jam a log into the pedals but that didn’t work.

“Luckily, the bus hit trees and rocks which stopped it from falling all the way down the slow. Otherwise, it would’ve been fallen into the 50-metre-deep cliff which was about only ten metres away.”

Thirty-two children, all between nine and twelve years old, along with their parents and teachers were injured and rushed to Saiyok Hospital.

They were watched closely by medical officers for two hours before they were discharged from the hospital in the evening.

Meanwhile, police officers from Saiyok Police Station arrived at the scene and began investigating. The bus driver and passengers were brought to the police station for questioning afterwards.