A double-decker bus crashed into a tree in southern Thailand, killing at least 14 people and injuring 32, police said on Tuesday.
The long-distance bus was on its way from Bangkok to the far south of the kingdom when it collided with a tree in the coastal province of Prachuap Khiri Khan on Monday evening.
Photos published in the local press show how the front part of the bus was cut in two by the force of the collision, with the tree embedded in the middle.
“According to the preliminary investigation, 14 people died and 32 were injured,” Arnon Tangto, a police investigator in Huay Yang district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, told AFP, adding that an investigation was underway.
The cause of the accident has not been confirmed, but police suspect the driver – who was seriously injured but survived – may have been suffering from sleep deprivation.
“We are working with the hospital to check his blood alcohol level,” Mr Arnon said.
Police are continuing to investigate whether the deceased were all Thais.
According to the World Health Organization, Thailand has one of the highest rates of road accidents in the world. Around 20,000 people die every year.