A Buddhist pilgrimage in northeastern Thailand turned into a devastating road tragedy on Thursday after an 11-year-old boy allegedly drove a pickup truck into a group of monks walking along a roadside, killing at least nine and injuring more than a dozen others.
The crash happened in Mukdahan province, near Thailand’s border with Laos, as monks were taking part in a long-distance pilgrimage walk toward Ubon Ratchathani province.
Authorities said the group had only recently begun the 260-kilometer journey when the pickup veered into the monks, who were walking in single file along the side of the road.
The Associated Press, citing Thai officials, reported that 35 monks from Mukdahan province were on the pilgrimage. Five monks died at the scene, while four others later died in hospital. Thirteen others were hospitalized, including three in critical condition.
Earlier reports placed the death toll at eight, but provincial authorities later confirmed another death, raising the toll to at least nine.
Security camera footage shared by a local rescue group showed the monks walking in a line before the pickup crashed into them. Police said witnesses described seeing the vehicle swerve before it slid off the road and hit the group.
The boy, whose name was withheld because he is a minor, was taken into custody. Police said he was expected to be questioned in the presence of state child protection officers.
Authorities said the child allegedly took the pickup from his family home without permission and drove several kilometers before the crash. Investigators are still determining how he gained access to the vehicle, what route he took, and what caused him to lose control.
Police have not filed charges as of the latest reports, saying they are still establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Local reports said rescue teams, hospital staff, and traffic police rushed to the scene after residents reported that a vehicle had struck monks on pilgrimage. Responders found injured monks along the roadside, with their belongings scattered near the crash site.
The tragedy has shaken Thailand, where Buddhist monks are widely revered and often seen receiving alms, leading religious walks, and serving as spiritual figures in local communities.
Beyond the grief, the case has raised urgent questions about child supervision, access to vehicles, and road safety in a country already known for having one of the region’s deadliest traffic records.
Mukdahan Governor Vorayan Bunarat said the crash should serve as a warning not only for the province but for the wider public, especially on the need to prevent similar accidents.
For the families of the monks, the focus is now on mourning. For Thai authorities, the case presents a painful legal and social dilemma: how to seek accountability in a fatal crash when the driver is an 11-year-old child.
And for Mukdahan, the image is difficult to erase: a line of monks walking in faith, a pickup truck out of control, and a pilgrimage that ended in tragedy.