BANGKOK — Eight Buddhist monks lost their lives Thursday after an 11-year-old boy drove a pickup truck into their group during a pilgrimage walk in northeastern Thailand, according to officials.
A total of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, located roughly 600 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, were participating in the religious walk when the crash occurred. Five monks died at the scene, while three more passed away at a hospital. Mukdahan Governor Worrayan Boonnarat confirmed the death toll and noted that 14 additional monks were taken to the hospital, with four of them in critical condition.
The pilgrimage group had only been walking for about 30 minutes when the crash happened. They were headed on a 260-kilometer journey to Ubon Ratchathani province.
Security camera footage released by a local rescue organization, the Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue Association, captured the terrifying moment. The video shows the monks walking in a single-file line along the roadside before the truck suddenly veers off the road and slams into the group.
The 11-year-old driver has been taken into custody, according to local police. Authorities said he will be formally questioned once state child protection officers are present.
Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash. Investigators said surviving monks reported seeing the truck swerving before it left the road and struck the group.
