An elderly passenger songthaew returning from a funeral overturned into a ditch in Phatthalung Province, killing one and injuring 18. Meanwhile, an emergency rescue vehicle rushing to help lost control and veered off the road due to slippery conditions caused by rain.
At 14:50 on 17 June 2026, Police Lieutenant Channarong Sansan, investigator at Khao Chaison Police Station in Phatthalung, along with local and nearby emergency rescue teams and Phatthalung rescue officials, deployed over five rescue vehicles to inspect and assist at the scene of an Isuzu songthaew from Phatthalung that had overturned into a roadside ditch at a sharp bend in the Ban Ton Don area.
Inspection revealed 12 injured persons were transported to Phatthalung and Khao Chaison hospitals for treatment. Among these, one was critically injured and six had minor injuries treated at the scene. In total, 18 people were injured. Most passengers were elderly members of the Ruamjai Rak Samakkhi group from Village 10, Khuan Maprao Subdistrict, Mueang Phatthalung District.
Officials also found one fatality, identified as Mr. Sombun Wongsuwan, age 70. After the accident, local villagers and fellow group members helped rescue those trapped in the ditch, quickly evacuating the injured from the site before emergency personnel provided further aid and transported them to hospitals.
Mr. Boonsri, age 75, the lightly injured songthaew driver, stated that he and the Ruamjai Rak Samakkhi group were returning from a funeral in Rat Phum District, Songkhla Province. Most passengers were elderly. Approaching the sharp bend where the accident occurred, rain had made the road slippery, causing the vehicle to lose control and plunge into the roadside ditch, resulting in many injuries and the fatality.
At the same time, an emergency rescue vehicle from the Thanom Subdistrict Municipality, rushing to assist the injured from the incident, also lost control and veered off the road due to the wet road surface from rain, causing vehicle damage.
However, the three rescue staff inside that vehicle were unharmed. Police are currently collecting evidence and interviewing those involved to determine the true cause of the accident before proceeding with legal actions.