9 Buddhist monks killed in Thailand as 11-year-old driver crashes pickup into procession

Nine Buddhist monks were killed and 14 other injured on Thursday, July 2, when an 11-year-old boy driving his parents’ pickup truck plowed into a religious procession in northeast Thailand.

This group consisted of 35 monks and five lay persons who were traveling on foot on a road in the Mukdahan Province on their 260-kilometer-long journey when the accident took place sometime during midday. In this tragic accident, five monks lost their lives while four others died due to injuries in local hospitals.

In the surveillance footage, it is evident that monks were walking single-file along the roadside before the gold-coloured pickup swerved and crashed into them.

Police reported that when the boy took the vehicle, his parents were away. He was not attending the school due to illness.

As of now, the vehicle has been seized for forensic examination. As stated by Police Major General Pairoj Thaiphutsa: “The suspect is a child. We’ve asked the parents to come in so we determine the responsibility of the childs care and proceed with the legal process.”

Among the injured, three monks are in critical condition while five others suffered serious injuries.