THIRTY-NINE French tourists travelling in a tour bus to a restaurant in Kanchanaburi for lunch today (Dec. 1) narrowly escaped after the large vehicle’s rear engine caught fire with the driver unaware of the looming disaster and only stopped upon being alerted by a passing motorist, Naewna newspaper said.
A 11.30 a.m. just as the tour bus was going down hill and about 300 metres away from a well-known restaurant in Sai Yok district of this eastern province where the tourists were to have lunch, the driver of a sedan who saw the engine ablaze zoomed to overtake and shouted to the big vehicle’s driver of the danger they faced.
The tour bus driver quickly parked to have a look and upon seeing the engine on fire called out to the tour guide to get the tourists out, and fortunately they all did so without anyone getting injured.
Sai Yok District Chief Mr. Neramit Luengomfah and Pol. Col. Phuchong Narong-in, Sai Yok police station superintendent, quickly sent fire engines to put out the fire while Mr. Kwanchai Thirasin, an official at Kanchanaburi Rescue Foundation, brought a chemical fire extinguisher and together it took 10 minutes to put it out. However they had to continue spraying water to ensure the fire did not reignite.
A truck was brought to take the 39 tourists and their tour guide to the restaurant.
The tourists had travelled from Bangkok to a floating market at Ratchaburi province and then visited Ayutthaya. After lunch they were to visit famous tourist attractions in Sai Yok.
It was initially believed the fire was caused by engine failure but a detailed investigation will be undertaken to find out how it erupted.
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The tour bus damaged by the fire and tourists standing by the roadside and then taken to the restaurant. Photos: Naewna
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