In a heartbreaking incident reported at 8:00 p.m. on December 11, 2023, a father, accompanied by his daughter and five grandchildren, met a tragic end when quicksand claimed their lives near Ban Tha Ruea Bridge, Tha Muang Subdistrict, Satuk District, Buriram Province. The family, huddled together in their final moments, lost their lives while collecting sand along the Mun River for the renovation of their home.
The Wang Krut Rescue Unit from Satuk District, Buriram Province, responded to the distressing incident after receiving a report of a man, woman, and three children missing in the Tha Sai Saphan Ban area.
Following the report, the underwater operation team from the Sawangjanaya Thammasathan Foundation in Buriram swiftly arrived to assist in the search. The victims were identified as a 45-year-old man, his 23-year-old daughter, and three grandchildren aged 14, 11, and 8.
The initial search, shrouded in sorrow, lasted 48 minutes. The first body was recovered at 22:18, followed by the second at 22:19, the third at 22:23, the fourth at 22:27, and the fifth at 23:03. The atmosphere was laden with grief, with the devastated family members expressing their sorrow audibly.
Preliminary information suggests that the father had driven an E-Tan vehicle to transport his family for sand collection along the Mun River for their home renovation project. When the family did not return, relatives discovered the E-Tan car parked, prompting a search. Tragically, rescuers found the lifeless bodies one by one in the sandpit, indicating a grim possibility that the victims were engulfed by the Mun River’s sand while loading it into the vehicle. Authorities are currently conducting an investigation to unravel the details surrounding this heart-wrenching incident.