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11-year-old boy driving pickup truck crashes into group of Thai monks, killing 8

Officials in Thailand say an 11-year-old boy has crashed a pickup truck into a group of monks on a pilgrimage walk, killing eight. A total of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, about 600 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, were on the pilgrimage Thursday. Five monks were killed at the site, while three o

Published July 2, 2026, 7:53 AM
Updated July 2, 2026, 8:15 AM1.9K
11-year-old boy driving pickup truck crashes into group of Thai monks, killing 8

BANGKOK (AP) — An 11-year-old boy crashed a pickup truck into a group of monks on a pilgrimage walk in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing eight, officials said.

A total of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, about 600 kilometers northeast of the capital Bangkok, were on the pilgrimage. Five monks were killed at the site, while three others died at a hospital, according to Mukdahan Governor Worrayan Boonnarat. Fourteen others were hospitalized.

Local police said the boy is now in custody.

The police said the cause of the accident is still under investigation, but said they were told by the monks that they saw the vehicle losing balance before it slid off the road and crashed into the group.

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