11-Year-Old Boy Drives Truck Into Buddhist Procession in Thailand, Killing Eight Monks

An 11-year-old boy has driven his parents' truck into a Buddhist procession in Thailand, killing eight monks and injuring more than 20 others, according to police and health officials.

The group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in the north-eastern Mukdahan province during a pilgrimage when the incident occurred.

"I saw a boy driving a pick-up truck, approaching. At that moment I was chanting 'Buddho, Buddho' (a meditation mantra)," one monk, identified as Phra Sompong, said in a video posted online by local rescue workers.

"Then suddenly the truck hit at full speed and crashed us.

"Luckily another monk and I managed to jump out of the way in time.

Five monks died at the scene and three more later died in hospital, police said.

Four others critical

CCTV footage from a nearby property shows the monks walking along the road, multiple vehicles driving past and then the sound of a loud crash before the procession stops.

Health authorities said four monks were in critical condition in Mukdahan Hospital and 10 others were seriously hurt, while more were being treated for lighter injuries.

Police said the boy had taken his parents' pick-up truck without permission before losing control of the vehicle and crashing into the monks.

"The suspect is a child. The vehicle has been taken for forensic examination to determine the cause," Police Major General Pairoj Thaiphutsa, commander of the Mukdahan Provincial Police, said.

Mukdahan City Police chief Prayut Ruanthongkam told AFP by telephone that the child was a boy aged 11.

Buddhist monks are highly venerated in Thailand, entrusted with preserving and passing on the Buddha's teachings.

They often hold public processions and are widely seen receiving alms of goodwill from ordinary Thais.

Mukdahan provincial governor Worayan Bunnarat said the case should serve as a wider warning on road safety.

Deadly transport accidents are common in Thailand, which has one of the worst road safety records in the world, with speeding, drunk driving and weak law enforcement all contributing factors.

"We've been very strict on road safety in recent years," Mr Bunnarat said.

"This case should be a lesson not just for our province, but for the public in general when it comes to preventing road accidents.

"I think everyone involved, especially parents, needs to help, because no-one wants something like this to happen."