Eight monks killed, 13 injured after 11-year-old allegedly crashes pickup into pilgrimage group in Mukdahan
The death toll from a pickup crash involving a group of tudong monks in Mukdahan has risen to eight after three more monks died in hospital, with 13 others injured.
Eight monks were killed and 13 others injured after an 11-year-old boy allegedly took a pickup truck from home and crashed into a group of monks on tudong walking along a road in Mueang district, Mukdahan, on Thursday morning.
The accident happened at around 11am on the Mukdahan-Don Tan Road near Ban Na Wiang Kae in Na Si Nuan subdistrict, Mueang district, when a pickup truck allegedly driven by an 11-year-old boy crashed into a group of monks walking along the road.
Initial reports said five monks died at the scene. Three more later died at hospital, raising the total number of fatalities to eight. Thirteen other monks were injured, while officials continued to assess the condition of those taken for treatment. The group consisted of 34 monks on tudong and five lay followers travelling from Mukdahan town towards Ubon Ratchathani.
Police and rescue teams sent to crash scene
Pol Col Prayut Rueanthongkham, superintendent of Mueang Mukdahan Police Station, was alerted by local residents that a vehicle had hit monks walking on a tudong pilgrimage.
He ordered Pol Maj Wanlop Phothiwang, an inquiry officer at the station, to inspect the scene. Rescue workers from Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue, the Mukdahan Charity Foundation, Mukdahan Hospital and traffic police were also dispatched.
At the scene, officers found several injured monks by the roadside. Nearby was the suspected vehicle, a bronze-gold Isuzu single-cab pickup truck with Mukdahan licence plate BT-1944. The front of the vehicle was damaged.
Death toll rises at hospital
The injured monks were rushed to Mukdahan Hospital and nearby medical facilities for treatment.
Authorities initially confirmed five deaths at the scene before later reporting that three more monks had died in hospital. The bodies were taken to Mukdahan Hospital as officials worked to contact relatives.
A highway police officer who came across the scene said he first thought it might have been an emergency drill after seeing many monks injured by the roadside, but quickly realised it was a major accident and helped coordinate rescue efforts.
Boy allegedly took pickup from home
Initial inquiries found that the pickup had allegedly been taken from the boy’s family home without permission.
The boy’s grandmother, Thongyun Pikunsri, 72, told authorities that her grandson had special needs and took the vehicle from home in the morning. She said she did not know where he was going and had alerted police to help intercept the pickup.
She later learned that the vehicle had reportedly passed through the Na Kham Noi checkpoint while heading towards Mukdahan town before crashing into the monks near Ban Na Wiang Kae.
Police investigate circumstances
Police have taken the boy to Mueang Mukdahan Police Station as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Authorities are expected to examine how the boy gained access to the vehicle, the route he took before the collision and whether any additional factors contributed to the accident.
