Burmese migrants suffocate to death in smuggling accident
Fifty-four Burmese migrants suffocate to death in back of smuggling lorry
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Thursday, 10, Apr 2008 12:45
Fifty-four migrant workers from Burma have been found suffocated to death in the back of a lorry which was smuggling them into southern Thailand.
More than 100 migrants had been packed into a container measuring 2.2 metres by 6 metres (7ft x 20ft) in the back of the truck which was on its way to the island resort of Phuket.
According to local police chief Colonel Kraithong Chanthongbai, a broken ventilation system was the cause of death of the 37 women and 17 men found.
"The people said they tried to bang on the walls of the container to tell the driver they were dying, but he told them to shut up as police would hear them when they crossed through checkpoints inside Thailand," he was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
When the driver realised the migrants had begun collapsing, around two hours into their trip from Ranong province near Burma, he stopped the truck and fled after seeing the state of many of the passengers.
At least 47 passengers survived, 21 of whom have been admitted to hospital while the rest have been held for questioning.
It is believed the migrants paid between 5,000 baht (£75) and 10,000 baht (£150) for their passage from Burma to Thailand.
While one million Burmese migrants are registered to work in Thailand legally, a further one million are in the country illegally and are often employed in poorly-paid, dangerous jobs that Thai nationals do not want.