Relatives of Thai school bus fire mourn during 5-day funeral prayers: Video
Relatives of some 20 students who died in a school bus inferno in Thailand are participating in a five-day funeral prayer being held at Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam school in Uthai Thani province.
Families, dressed in black gathered to console each other and lay flowers, toys, and food offerings on the coffins of the children, along with three teachers who also died in the tragedy.
The fire broke out after the bus, which was carrying 39 students and six teachers, crashed on a highway north of Bangkok on Tuesday. Investigators believe a burst tyre caused the vehicle to hit a barrier, sparking a fire that spread too quickly for many passengers to escape.
Police have arrested the driver on suspicion of causing death by careless driving, and authorities are investigating whether the bus's compressed gas tanks played a role in the fire. The government has ordered checks on more than 13,000 gas-fueled buses, as some relatives call for a ban on their use, AFP reports.
The formal funeral prayers began on October 3 and will continue until a mass cremation scheduled for October 8, with King Maha Vajiralongkorn represented by the head of Thailand's Privy Council.
