Mukdahan, Thailand. Eight Buddhist monks were killed and 23 other people were injured after a pickup truck driven by an 11-year-old boy struck a pilgrimage group in Thailand’s northeastern Mukdahan province, officials said on Thursday.
Victims and pilgrimage group
The victims were part of a group of 34 Buddhist monks and five lay followers travelling on a pilgrimage from a temple in Mukdahan province to another in neighbouring Ubon Ratchathani province, Mukdahan Governor Vorayan Bunarat said at a press conference.
Five monks died at the scene, while three others later died in hospital, the governor said. Another 22 monks and one layperson were injured in the crash, including four people in critical condition.
Police account
Major General Pairoj Thaiphutra, the Mukdahan provincial police chief, said the driver was an 11-year-old boy with special needs who took the pickup truck from his family home and drove about 10 km before hitting the group.
Investigation
Police have not filed any charges because investigators are still trying to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash, Pairoj said.
He added that officers had not yet been able to question the boy because he remained in a state of shock and was unable to provide a statement.