BANGKOK – At least eight Buddhist monks were killed and more than 10 others were injured on July 2 when a child drove his parents’ truck into a procession in north-eastern Thailand, the police said. The group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in Mukdahan province during a pilgrimage when the incident occurred, local police chief Pairoj Thaiphutsa told reporters, adding: “The suspect is a child.” Initial inquiries found that the pick-up truck had allegedly been taken from the
boy’s family home without permission, reported Thai news outlet The Nation. The boy’s grandmother told the authorities that her grandson had special needs and took the vehicle from home in the morning. She said she did not know where he was going and had alerted police to help intercept the pick-up. She later learned that the vehicle had reportedly passed through the Na Kham Noi checkpoint while heading towards Mukdahan town before crashing into the monks near Ban Na Wiang Kae. The police have taken
the boy to Mueang Mukdahan Police Station as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, reported The Nation. AFP This is a developing story.
Mukdahan, Thailand, monks killed, procession, pickup truck, child suspect, special needs, Na Kham Noi checkpoint, Ban Na Wiang Kae, police investigation