Boy, 11, Kills Eight Monks in Thailand After Truck Plunges into Pilgrimage Group

Eight Buddhist monks on a pilgrimage in northeastern Thailand were killed when an 11-year-old boy driving a pickup truck collided with their group on Thursday. The tragic incident occurred in the Mukdahan province, approximately 600 kilometers northeast of the capital, Bangkok.

According to provincial governor Vorayan Bunrat, five monks died immediately at the crash site. Three additional monks passed away later from their injuries while being treated at the hospital. Fourteen other monks sustained injuries and have been hospitalized, with four reported to be in critical condition.

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Five monks died at the scene, while three more succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.

The group of 35 monks had embarked on a 260-kilometer pilgrimage about half an hour before the accident. Security camera footage released by a local rescue organization shows the monks walking in a procession along the roadside when the pickup truck veered into them.

Local police have taken the 11-year-old driver into custody. He is awaiting questioning by child protection officials. While the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, monks who witnessed the event told authorities that they observed the vehicle swerving erratically before it left the road and struck the group.

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the monks told how they saw the vehicle swerving before it left the road and hit the group.