Bangkok: A passenger van on the Tak-Mae Sot route rear-ended a truck, resulting in five deaths and nine injuries. The accident occurred on the Tak-Mae Sot road in Mueang Tak district, Tak province, and it is believed that the van driver fell asleep at the wheel.

According to Thai News Agency, at 2:40 PM, Police Lieutenant Colonel Kiattisak Boonplong, the investigating officer at Mae Tho Police Station, received a report about the incident. The crash happened at Ban Huai Nueng on Highway 12, just a kilometer before the Tak-Mae Sot intersection, near the Tak Provincial Land Development Station. Upon receiving the report, emergency services, including ambulances from Somdej Phra Chao Taksin Hospital and various rescue networks, were dispatched to the scene.

Investigations revealed that the van, with Tak license plates, was driven by Mr. Nikom Kawinam, aged 72, who died instantly in the crash. The van collided with the right rear corner of a ten-wheel truck, which had license plates from Pathum Thani Province and was driven by Mr. Wicheth Maneekham, 42, from San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province.

Rescue workers, with assistance from local residents, worked to extract the injured from the wreckage. Unfortunately, despite efforts including CPR and defibrillation, two men and three women died at the scene. Among the deceased was a newly hired nurse from Somdej Phra Taksin Maharaj Hospital. Two individuals sustained serious injuries, while seven others suffered minor injuries.

Initial witness accounts suggest that the truck was parked on the left side of the road while the driver had crossed to the opposite side to make a purchase. Upon his return, the van, allegedly swerving due to the driver possibly falling asleep, crashed into the truck. Police are committed to a thorough investigation, examining all evidence and witness accounts to ensure justice is served.