An 11-year-old boy crashed a pickup truck into a group of monks on pilgrimage in northeastern Thailand, killing eight and injuring several others, officials have confirmed.
The tragedy occurred in Mukdahan province, about 600 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, as 35 monks were walking along a roadside on a 260-kilometre pilgrimage to Ubon Ratchathani province.
Security camera footage shared by the Ruam Jai Mukdahan Rescue Association showed the monks walking in a single file moments before the pickup truck veered off the road and ploughed into the group.
The monks had begun the pilgrimage about 30 minutes before the crash.
Mukdahan Governor Worrayan Boonnarat, who confirmed the incident on Thursday, said 14 of the injured monks were responding to treatment, while four remained in critical condition.
Local police said the 11-year-old driver is in custody and will be questioned after state child protection officers arrive.
Police said the cause of the crash is still under investigation. However, preliminary accounts from the monks indicated that they saw the pickup truck swerving before it left the road and crashed into the group.