Victims’ relatives struggle with grief after tragedy

“We don’t know how to continue living anymore,” a tearful Aed Singkhorn, 64, said yesterday. This Si Sa Ket native lost his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren when a van crashed into their pick-up truck and set both vehicles on fire. 
Aed and his diabetic wife Chamong were affected so badly on seeing their four coffins yesterday that she collapsed and had to be hospitalised. 
The couple, accompanied by a medical team from Prang Ku Hospital, were attending a funeral prayers service for their loved ones at a temple and the medics had to step in when Chamong began crying uncontrollably upon seeing the coffins.
Prompot Korsiriwaranont’s parents were also heartbroken, as they carried their 20-year-old son’s body back to their home province of Chantaburi. The second-year medical student at Chulalongkorn University was a passenger in the crashed van. 
The Institute of Forensic Medicine has called on relatives to come forward and provide DNA samples so victims can be identified. Since many bodies were burned beyond recognition, conducting DNA tests is the only way to identify them. 
As of press time, the institute had already identified 25 bodies and were ready for relatives to pick up for funeral rites. 
Surasak Chuachan said his mother, son and younger sister were also in the pickup truck that was hit by the van.The truck was carrying 15 people and only one survived the crash. 
“I will hold their funeral at Chong Nonsi Temple in Bangkok’s Yannawa district,” he said after picking up the bodies of his loved ones. 
Kasemsan Thaitrong, who lost his son in the accident, vowed to sue the van-service provider and hoped this would stop such tragic accidents from recurring. 
“The operator must take responsibility. It can’t just say that insurance companies will handle the compensation,” he said.
Kasemsan’s son, Kantinan, was a computer programmer and known for his skills in the basketball court. 
Porntip Rerkmuang, 28, meanwhile, lost her dear friend Hataitip Modphai to the accident. “She was so nice and such fun to be with,” she said.
Suthipol Thaweechaikarn, secretary-general of the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) said yesterday that his office initially found that the van’s obligatory insurance policy and voluntary third-class car insurance policy would provide third-party cover at Bt300,000 per head or up to Bt10 million per time in compensation for bodily harm. 
The policies also would provide an additional Bt100,000 per head in case of death or permanent disability and pay up to Bt50,000 in medical bill coverage. They also would compensate for property damage at up to Bt300,000 per time.
The OIC also found that the pickup truck’s two insurance policies would provide third-party cover in case of bodily harm at Bt1 million per head or up to Bt10 million per time. 
They also covered up to Bt2.5 million in property damage per time while also providing additional Bt50,000 per head for death or permanent disability and Bt50,000 in medical bill coverage. 
Based on such two parties’ insurance policies, the 27 deceased and two injured victims could each receive about Bt700,000 in compensation.