Eight monks killed, over 20 injured after 11-year-old boy crashes truck in Thailand

BANGKOK - Eight Buddhist monks were killed and more than 20 others injured after being hit by a pickup truck driven by an 11-year-old boy while on a pilgrimage in Thailand's northeastern province of Mukdahan, officials said on Thursday.

The victims were part of a group of 34 Buddhist monks and five lay followers undertaking a pilgrimage from a temple in Mukdahan province to another in neighbouring Ubon Ratchathani province, Mukdahan Governor Vorayan Bunarat said at a press conference.

Five monks died at the scene, while three others later succumbed to their injuries in hospital, the governor said. Another 22 monks and one layperson were injured in the crash, including four who are now in critical condition.

"The driver, an 11-year-old boy with special needs, took the pickup truck from his family home and drove about 10 km (6 miles) before hitting the group of monks," said Major General Pairoj Thaiphutra, the Mukdahan provincial police chief.

Police have not filed any charges as investigators are still trying to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash, Pairoj said.

Officers have not yet been able to question the boy because he remains in a state of shock and is unable to provide a statement, he added.

Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by David Stanway/Reuters