A dozen killed, 38 injured in bus accident

Over a dozen passengers were killed and about 38 were wounded in a bus accident on 16 March, on the Tachilek-Kengtung highway, Shan State East.

Currently, the injured passengers are under treatment at Kengtung public hospital. However, many more people still remain under the capsized bus.

Authorities from the hospital informed that 13 people were found dead. Among them was a car driver.

But a local villager from Kengtung said, “The number of peoples who died on the spot was 17 while some were trapped under the bus and some were blown away when the bus plunged down the ravine.”

The rescue operation is being carried out by local villagers and authorities, he said.

The incident took place between 1:30 and 2: 00 (Burma Standard Time) at Loi Pang Koi, a steep hill between Tachilek and Kengtung. The bus was going from Tachilek to Kengtung. It carried over 60 passengers. The bus was from Shwe Ye Kan co. owned by Sai Long.

The bus was said to have been pushed from the back by a ten-wheel vehicle carrying cement bags whose brake had failed on a steep hill, according to another source.

“Then both cars fell down the hill at the same time,” he said.

On that day, the Commander of the Triangle Region Command, Maj Gen Kyaw Phyoe was reported to visit the hospital and met the injured passengers.

Source :http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2970:a-dozen-killed-38-injured-in-bus-accident-&catid=93:general&Itemid=291