Chinese tourists scramble to safety after accident on 'curve of a hundred corpses' in Doi Saket

Rescue workers come to the aid of injured passengers from an overturned tour bus in Doi Saket district of Chiang Mai on Saturday afternoon. (Photo from Ruamduaychuaykan Facebook page)

CHIANG MAI: Fourteen people were hurt, three seriously, when a bus carrying Chinese tourists overturned at a dangerous spot that local people call “the curve of a hundred corpses” in Doi Saket district on Saturday afternoon.

The accident happened on the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai road between kilometre markers 30-31 at Ban Mae Wan village, said Pol Col Pongpeera Karadket, chief of Doi Saket police station, who was alerted at 3.45pm.

The Hana Tour bus with Chiang Mai licence plates was found overturned by the roadside. Many passengers were seen trying to escape from the overturned vehicle, Thai media reported.

Rescue workers rushed to help them. A total of 14 people, including Chinese tourists, the driver and a bus staffer, were hurt. Three were badly injured. All were taken to Doi Saket Hospital.

A police investigation found that the bus, driven by Thanong Tippor, 45, was taking 12 Chinese tourists from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. It failed to negotiate the sharp curve, causing it to strike a concrete kilometre marker before it overturned.

Local residents said road accidents occurred frequently in the area, which explained the grisly name given to the location.