A passenger van lost control, overturned off the road, and caught fire, being completely destroyed near Ban Kog Lam, Village No. 10, Nong Yai Subdistrict, Phon Thong District, Roi Et Province. The incident resulted in two fatalities and twelve injuries among Lao PDR passengers. Authorities are investigating the exact cause.
At approximately 05:20 on 18 August 2026, in Kalasin Province, the 191 Radio Center received a report of a passenger van losing control, overturning off the road, and bursting into flames, completely destroying the vehicle. The accident occurred on the four-lane Kalasin-Mukdahan road near Ban Kog Lam, Village No. 10, Nong Yai Subdistrict, Phon Thong District, Roi Et Province, near the border with Ban Kui, Kuchinarai District, Kalasin Province. Following the report, police and related agencies promptly arrived to investigate, coordinating with fire trucks and rescue teams to extinguish the fire and provide urgent assistance.
Preliminary checks revealed the vehicle was a passenger van with license plate 1 นช 5478 Bangkok. It was carrying 14 Lao PDR nationals, including the driver, traveling from Bangkok to Mukdahan Province to renew visas and return to their country. The journey began around 21:00 the previous night. At the accident site in the early morning, the van lost control, veered off the road, and rapidly caught fire, causing severe damage. Two people died, and twelve were injured.
Rescue teams from Buakhao Rescue, Samkha Rescue, and emergency medical personnel quickly transported the injured to various hospitals. Five were taken to Somdet Phra Yuppharat Kutchinarai Hospital, six were transported by Buakhao Rescue, and one by Samkha Rescue. The two deceased have not yet been identified as male or female pending forensic confirmation.
An injured Lao PDR passenger told reporters that the group was traveling to Mukdahan Province to renew their permits and return home. During the trip, two young passengers, a male and a female sitting near the front behind the driver, warned him that the van was traveling too fast—around 140 km/h. The passenger then asked the driver to slow down. Initially, the driver reduced speed but soon resumed high speed.
The passenger also noticed the driver's abnormal behavior: he appeared constantly drowsy, nodding off while driving, and frighteningly, held the steering wheel with only one hand while the other was free. Although the driver had briefly stopped earlier, he did not rest properly. When approaching the accident site, the passenger was about to warn the driver about the speed again but was too late as the van lost control and veered off the road.
Currently, police are conducting a thorough investigation at the accident site to establish the true cause of the crash. The list of injured and deceased is still being compiled and verified by authorities.