At least 15 people, including 13 children, were killed and 45 others injured on Friday when a double-decker tour bus collided with a truck in central Thailand.
The pre-dawn accident occurred when the bus lost control after its brake system malfunctioned while it was cruising down a mountain road and crashed into the rear of the 18-wheel truck. The bus was taking schoolgirls, all under the age of 10, and their teachers from Ban Dong lob school on a sight-seeing trip to Chomthien Beach, Pattaya.
Eleven people were killed on the spot and four others died at a local hospital, reports said. A police officer said initial investigation suggested the crash was likely caused by faulty brakes.