Bus crash near Bangkok claims lives of 20 children, 3 teachers

The bodies of 20 children and three teachers have been recovered after a bus transporting school pupils crashed and caught fire just outside Bangkok on Tuesday, news reports said.

The bus was returning to the Thai capital following a school trip to the northern region. Footage from the site showed the bus engulfed in flames under an overpass, with thick black smoke rising into the sky.

Witnesses reported that the crash occurred after a front tyre burst, causing the bus to collide with the concrete barrier on the highway. Nineteen children and three teachers survived, with 16 currently receiving treatment in the hospital for their injuries.