Dozens of schoolchildren and parents on a day trip have been injured after a bus’s brakes failed before plunging down a ravine.<br /><br />Six coaches, carrying more than 300 passengers, were travelling to Saiyok waterfall in Kanchanaburi, western Thailand for a one-day trip yesterday (June 27).<br /><br />The buses were driving down a steep and deep mountain when the third bus in the convoy skidded to avoid a fallen motorcycle in the middle of the road.<br /><br />Driver Witoon Phadungrojwit, 67, tried to stop the bus but the brakes failed, causing it to hit the motorcycle then spin out of control down the hill.<br /><br />The bus smashed into several electric poles and road fences. It eventually careered off the road plunged down a hillside. <br /><br />Miraculously, trees and rocks prevented it from falling any further - which would have seen it tumble down a 165ft high cliff.<br /><br />Thirty-five passengers, including the youngsters and their parents as well as several teachers, were injured in the crash and taken to hospital. <br /><br />Speaking after, the driver Witoon said: “I was shocked when the brakes failed. I even asked the bus conductor to jam a log into the pedals but that didn’t work.<br /><br />“Luckily, the bus hit trees and rocks which stopped it from falling all the way down the slow. Otherwise, it would’ve been fallen into the 50-metre-deep cliff which was about only ten metres away.”<br /><br />Thirty-two children, all between nine and twelve years old, along with their parents and teachers were injured and rushed to Saiyok Hospital. <br /><br />They were watched closely by medical officers for two hours before they were discharged from the hospital in the evening.<br /><br />Meanwhile, police officers from Saiyok Police Station arrived at the scene and began investigating. The bus driver and passengers were brought to the police station for questioning afterwards.
