An 11-year-old boy crashed his parents' pickup truck into a group of Buddhist monks walking along a rural road in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing nine and injuring more than a dozen, according to officials and police.
The incident occurred in Mukdahan province, about 600 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, where a group of 34 monks and five lay followers were on a pilgrimage from a temple in Mukdahan to another in neighboring Ubon Ratchathani, the provincial governor, Vorayan Bunarat, said at a press conference.
Five monks died at the scene, while four others later died in hospital, the governor said. Thirteen monks were hospitalized, with three in critical condition, according to the provincial administration. A provincial hospital appealed for blood donations to help treat the mass-casualty event.
Police said the boy took his parents' pickup truck without permission and drove about 6 miles (10 kilometers) before losing control of the vehicle and crashing into the group. The provincial police chief, Maj Gen Pairoj Thaiphutra, said the boy, who has special needs, remained in a state of shock and was unable to provide a statement. Officers have not filed any charges as they work to establish the circumstances of the crash.
The boy is in custody and will be questioned when state child protection officers arrive, police said.
Images and security camera footage shared by a local rescue group showed the monks, wearing orange robes, walking in a single line along the roadside before the truck veered off the road and struck them. The timestamp on the footage placed the crash shortly before 11 a.m. local time.
Thailand has one of the worst road safety records in the world, though it has improved in recent years. According to the World Health Organization, the country ranks ninth out of 175 countries in road traffic deaths, with more than 18,200 fatalities registered in 2021—around 50 per day. Rural roads, like the one where the crash occurred, can be poorly maintained and are used by a mix of vehicles, some old and overloaded.
Buddhist monks are highly venerated in Thailand, where more than 90% of the population practices Buddhism, and public processions are common. The crash has cast a shadow over the local community, where temples are central to village life.