Daijiworld Media Network – Mukdahan

Mukdahan, Jul 2: Eight Buddhist monks were killed and 10 others injured after an 11-year-old boy allegedly drove his parents' pickup truck into a religious procession in Thailand's northeastern Mukdahan province on Thursday.

According to police, a group comprising 35 monks and five lay followers was walking along a roadside as part of a pilgrimage when the pickup truck crashed into them.

Mukdahan Provincial Police Commander Major General Pairoj Thaiphutsa said the vehicle has been seized for forensic examination to determine the exact cause of the accident.

"The suspect is a child. The vehicle has been taken for forensic examination to determine the cause. We have also asked the child's parents to appear before investigators so that responsibility for the child's care can be determined and the legal process can proceed," he said.

Police said the 11-year-old boy had taken his parents' pickup truck without permission before losing control of the vehicle and ploughing into the procession.

Five monks died at the scene, while three others later succumbed to their injuries in hospital. More than 10 injured victims are undergoing treatment at Mukdahan Hospital.

Mukdahan City Police chief Prayut Ruanthongkam confirmed that the driver was an 11-year-old boy.

Emergency medical and rescue personnel rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to Mukdahan Hospital for treatment.

Mukdahan Governor Worayan Bunnarat described the tragedy as a reminder of the importance of road safety and parental responsibility.

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