Death toll hits 10 in Thai monk procession crash
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Rescue workers retrieving the body of a Buddhist monk after a collision between the monks’ roadside procession and a pickup truck driven by an 11-year old on July 2.
PHOTO: AFP
- An 11-year-old boy driving his parents' pickup truck crashed into a Buddhist monk procession in Mukdahan, Thailand, killing 10 monks.
- Ten other people were hospitalised, including two in critical condition, after the July 2 accident.
- The boy is not criminally liable due to his age and is under child welfare care, while police continue investigating with witness statements.
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BANGKOK – The number of monks killed has risen to 10 after an 11-year-old boy drove a pickup truck into a Buddhist procession in Thailand, officials said on July 3.
Ten other people were still hospitalised after the July 2 crash – two in critical condition and eight with injuries – according to the latest update from Mukdahan Hospital, in the north-east of the country.
A group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in Mukdahan province during a pilgrimage when a truck ploughed into them.
Police said it was driven by an 11-year-old who had taken his parents’ vehicle without permission.
Five monks died at the scene, and another five died later in hospital.
Prayut Ruanthongkam, chief of Mukdahan City Police, told AFP on July 3 the boy was unable to give a statement to police.
He had been referred to child welfare authorities for assessment, accompanied by his mother.
In Thailand, children under the age of 12 have no criminal liability.
Police were also taking witness testimony from surviving monks as part of the investigation, Prayut said.
Buddhist monks are highly venerated in Thailand, entrusted with preserving and passing on the Buddha’s teachings.
They often hold public processions and are widely seen receiving alms of goodwill from ordinary Thais.
A representative of Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom, a hilltop temple in Mukdahan, told AFP the temple had taken in surviving and recovering monks, along with other followers involved in the procession. AFP
