23 dead after accident triggers blaze on school bus in Thailand

Tragedy takes place on Bangkok highway during field trip; 21 others manage to flee

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BANGKOK - Rescuers worked to recover children's bodies from the charred wreckage of a school bus on Oct 1 after an accident turned the vehicle into an inferno, with at least 23 dead.

A devastating blaze tore through the bus on a highway in a northern Bangkok suburb as it carried 38 children - ranging from kindergarten age to young teenagers - and six teachers on a school trip.

The victims' bodies were so badly burned that officials were unable to quickly give a precise death toll.

But Lieutenant-General Trairong Phiwpan, the forensic science commissioner, told reporters later in the day that 23 bodies had already been identified. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said 21 people escaped from the blaze.

Rescue workers put up screens around the wreckage to shield firefighters and investigators as they began recovering bodies.