In a telegram signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the deadly accident and that he “extends his prayers to all who are suffering the effects of this tragedy, especially the families who are grieving,” while commending the souls of the deceased “to the loving mercy of the Almighty.”
The Pope concluded his message by invoking “the divine blessings of strength, peace and consolation” upon all those affected by the tragedy. The bus was one of three carrying children from Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam school in the northern province of Uthai Thani on a field trip to a science museum in northern Bangkok.
The blaze engulfed the vehicle on a highway in a northern suburb of the Thai capital, carrying 38 children—ranging from kindergarten age to young teenagers—and six teachers. The disaster is believed to have begun when one of the bus tyres burst on the highway at lunchtime, sending it crashing into a barrier and triggering the fire, officials said. Some of the children who survived the fire reported horrific burns on various parts of their bodies.