Operator of a Thai bus that caught fire and killed 23 is charged, as investigators suspect gas leak

Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Police in Thailand say they have filed negligence charges against a bus operator in connection with a bus fire that killed 23 young students and teachers earlier this week, as investigators suggested a gas leak may have caused the blaze. Public outrage over the tragedy has put officials under scrutiny over safety standards after information emerged that the bus had passed an inspection about four months before the fire. Investigators have found that the bus was fitted with 11 natural gas canisters although it had a permit for only six. Officials say a gas tube from one of the unregistered canisters had come loose, and the bus company had attempted to evade their investigation.