Tram accident closes zoo

KHON KAEN Two sightseeing tram collided and overturned at Thailand’s Khon Kaen Zoo, Sunday, killed five tourists on board and injuring more than 50, local media reported.
Initially, officials at the zoo said brakes on one of the trams failed causing it to hit the other tram and overturn.
A full investigation is underway. Human error and driving under the influence of alcohol of drugs were not mentioned as possible factors.
The zoo is a popular weekend attraction for residents and visitors to Khon Kaen. It will close for five days while police complete their investigation
inside no 6The zoo stands on 1,500 rai of hilly terrain. Most visitors rent golf carts or the use the zoo’s trams to get around the park and zoo enclosures.
The zoo says it will pay compensation of THB100,000 to each of the families of those fatally injured. It is also covering medical expenses for the injured, who were admitted to local hospitals.
Thailand claims to be a world-class destination for tourism but it has a woefully poor safety scorecard.
Last week, a Chinese tourist died when a safety harness on a zipline in Chiang Mai snapped.
Road safety is abysmal with the country toting up the second highest fatality rate per 1,000 population, after the Republic of Male.
Earlier this year, the UN’s aviation screening authority, ICAO, raised a red flag over Thailand’s Department of Civil Aviation for its failure to meet procedural safety checks on the country’s aviation industry. It repeatedly failed to correct shortcomings identified by the agency over the last two years.

sourced:ttrweekly.com