Nine Thai monks killed after 11-year old boy drives truck into procession

Bangkok: An 11-year-old boy drove his parents’ truck into a Buddhist procession in Thailand on Thursday, killing nine monks and seriously injuring around 10 others, police and local authorities said.
A group of 35 monks and five lay followers were walking along a roadside in northeastern Mukdahan province during a pilgrimage when the incident occurred. “I saw a boy driving a pickup truck, approaching. At that moment I was chanting ‘Buddho, Buddho’ (a meditation mantra),” one monk, identified as Phra Sompong, said in a video posted online by local rescue workers. “Then suddenly the truck hit at full speed and crashed us,” he said.
“Luckily another monk and I managed to jump out of the way in time,” he added. “The first nine monks in line survived. But others who were hit were thrown into the air.”
Police said five monks died at the scene and three more in hospital. — AFP