At Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam School in Lan Sak, a tiny village in central Thailand, the hall was lined with coffins in shades of white and gold. On some of them, relatives arranged toys, clothing, and food.
A member of the Thai royal family laid wreaths and performed a Buddhist funeral ritual symbolizing purity by pouring water on the coffins.
The cause of the fire that occurred on Tuesday when the group was on a field trip has not yet been established by the police. The bus driver, who surrendered, is accused of driving recklessly and inflicting fatalities and injuries.
According to reports, three teachers and eighteen students made it out of the fire alive. Sixteen of them are receiving medical attention for wounds in a hospital. Although the children’s ages are unknown, the school accepts students from three to fifteen years old.
Numerous cabinet members were among the hundreds of attendees at the mass funeral. Among them was Permpoon Chidchob, the minister of education, who gave the victims’ families financial support.
According to the minister, Buddhist rituals, or “merit-making ceremonies,” have been performed by authorities in memory of the deceased.
