Bus crashes in western Thailand, killing 14 people and injuring more than 30 others
Bangkok (AP): A bus crashed in western Thailand early on Tuesday, killing 14 people and injuring more than 30 others, officials said.
The accident occurred in Prachuap Khiri Khan province as the bus was travelling from the capital, Bangkok, to Songkhla province in the deep south. It was carrying 49 people when it ran off the road and hit a tree near Hat Wanakorn National Park, a local police official said. Prachuap Khiri Khan province is located on a coastal stretch between the Gulf of Thailand and Myanmar.
"We presume the driver might have fallen asleep," said Pol. Col. Weerapat Ketesa, the superintendent of the Huay Yang Police Station, adding that officials were waiting for the result of a blood test on the driver, who survived the accident.
Police were still investigating what caused the crash, he added.
Most victims were Thai and a few were Burmese, Weerapat said.
Some 35 people were being treated for injuries at local hospitals, according to the Sawang Rungrueang Rescue Foundation.
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Bengaluru: First-time Congress MLAs with merit can be made ministers, says Moily
Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister Marpadi Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said that first-time Congress legislators could be considered for ministerial berths during the proposed Cabinet reshuffle if they have the requisite merit.
Moily responded to reports of over 30 first-time Congress MLAs seeking Cabinet positions by stressing the need for a Cabinet with a balance of merit among first-time, young, and senior leaders.
“We entered politics when the Chief Minister Devaraj Urs recognised us in 1972. If legislators have merit and dedication, they can be included in the Cabinet,” Deccan Herald quoted him as saying.
He said that there is nothing wrong with new MLAs aspiring for ministerial posts and that no one has the moral authority to question such aspirations. He recalled that he, too, was a newcomer in his early political days and said those with eligibility should be given ministerial posts.
“If the MLAs have merit, the Chief Minister will recognise them. In our time, we did not lobby for ministerial berths. We were recognised by the Chief Minister,” he said.
Addressing demands for a change in Chief Minister and current talk of a Cabinet reshuffle, Moily said that legislators voicing aspirations should not be seen as engaging in groupism.
He also said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to visit Karkala in Udupi district on Wednesday.
