CHIANG MAI– A school transport van carrying young students collided with a pickup truck and overturned on a rainy highway in northern Thailand on June 4, 2026, injuring 27 people and leaving two individuals in severe condition.
The collision happened at around 4:45 PM during a drizzle at the Baan Huay Saikhaw intersection in Fang District, Chiang Mai Province. Local emergency services and medical staff quickly launched a mass casualty response to rescue the victims and transport them to a nearby hospital. Police are currently investigating the precise cause of the accident, which took place along a major route connecting local northern communities.
According to a report by Thairath , the accident involved a school van with a Chiang Mai registration plate and a pickup truck registered in neighboring Chiang Rai Province. The pickup truck was traveling along the main Fang-Mae Suai Highway when the two vehicles sideswiped each other near the three-way intersection.
The impact caused the school van to lose control completely. It veered off the road, slammed into a concrete roadside utility pole base, and flipped upside down into a roadside ditch.
Local police led by Pol. Capt. Phattharaphong Phaisankhamas of the Fang Police Station arrived at the scene shortly after receiving an emergency alert from the radio center. Because of the high number of potential injuries, officials immediately coordinated with the Mae Kha emergency rescue unit and local volunteer teams to secure the area and help the trapped children out of the overturned van.
Breakdown of Injuries and Patient Conditions
First responders at the scene found dozens of shaken and injured school children. A total of 27 individuals suffered injuries from the crash. Emergency medical technicians quickly sorted the patients based on the severity of their injuries to ensure those in critical condition received immediate care.
The injury status of the victims includes the following:
- Severe Injuries (Red Code):2 patients suffered critical injuries and required urgent medical intervention. They remain under close medical supervision.
- Moderate Injuries (Yellow Code):1 patient sustained non-life-threatening but significant injuries requiring hospital admission.
- Minor Injuries (Green Code):24 patients suffered minor cuts, bruises, or shock. They received first aid treatment and evaluation before being safely discharged to return home.
A total of five individuals required overnight hospital stays to monitor their recovery, while the rest were cleared by medical staff to leave with their families.
Fang Hospital immediately activated its emergency mass casualty protocol as soon as word of the accident reached the facility. The hospital mobilized extra doctors, nurses, and support personnel to handle the sudden influx of over two dozen patients arriving all at once.
Hospital administrators noted that the smooth handling of the crisis was a direct result of regular emergency drills. The medical team managed to triage, treat, and stabilize all 27 victims systematically without disrupting the hospital’s standard daily operations.
Rain and Slick Roads Investigated as Factors
Local authorities point out that light rain was falling at the time of the crash, leaving the highway surface slick and reducing visibility for both drivers. The pickup truck sustained heavy impact damage along its right side, while the school transport van suffered extensive structural damage from hitting the concrete pole base and flipping over.
Fang Police Station investigators are currently collecting physical evidence from the crash site and interviewing both drivers, as well as eyewitnesses who saw the collision occur. Law enforcement officials intend to review the exact sequence of events to determine fault and proceed with formal legal actions according to Thai traffic laws.
