A solemn atmosphere filled central Thailand on October 8 as thousands gathered to bid farewell to 20 schoolchildren and three teachers who lost their lives in a bus fire last week.
The royal-sponsored cremation ceremony was held at the multipurpose hall of Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam School in Uthai Thani Province, about 300 kilometers north of Bangkok, where families mourned the 23 lives lost in the incident.
Presided over by General Surayud Chulanont, President of the Privy Council, the ceremony drew over 4,000 attendees, including cabinet members, provincial officials, and community members. The event was broadcast live on national television.
Among those present was Wichan Suebsaichan, the father of nine-year-old Reutthawat, who shared his grief: “When I heard the news, I hoped it wasn’t my son. Now he is gone. Our home will never be the same.”
A mother whose son died in the blaze said, “Now the house just seems very quiet. I haven’t slept since then. May he rest in peace and go to heaven.”
Vilasini Ghoshachandra, a mother of two, expressed sorrow for the affected families: “I feel deeply for the families and classmates of the deceased. As a mother, I understand their pain. I don’t know how I would cope with such a loss.”
During the ceremony, monks chanted as the 23 caskets were placed in individual cremation furnaces, marking the end of a week of traditional Buddhist funeral rites.
The tragedy occurred on October 1, when a fire ignited after the school bus, chartered for a field trip, burst a tire and crashed into a highway barrier north of Bangkok.
The blaze was triggered by a leaking compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder. Investigations revealed that some of the CNG cylinders on the bus had been illegally installed.
Recently, Pope Francis led prayers for the victims at the Vatican, expressing his sadness over the tragedy. A statement from the Holy See confirmed the pope’s condolences.
