Five perish after tour bus catches fire

BANGKOK: Five people including two children were burnt to death and at least 12 were seriously injured when a doubledecker tour bus skidded off and burst into flames in Thailand’s northeastern province of Khon Kaen early yesterday morning.

In the incident at 12.30am (local time), the tour bus carrying 33 passengers departed from Bung Kan province on Monday and was heading to Bangkok

Bangkok Post reported that a rear tyre of the tour bus burst and caught fire when it arrived at Mittraphap Road (known as Friendship Highway) in Ban Haet district shortly after midnight.

Local media reported that firefighters took about an hour to put out the fire.