Eight Buddhist monks killed and dozens injured after boy, 11, runs them over in a truck

By ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 08:51, 2 July 2026 | Updated: 08:51, 2 July 2026 Eight Buddhist monks were killed and 26 others injured when an eleven-year-old boy who was driving his father's pick-up truck rammed into them on Thursday morning. The religious figures were walking in single file in a group of 34 along the roadside when the bronze Isuzu ploughed through them in Mukdahan, northeast Thailand, at around 11.55 am local time. Horrifying footage from the aftermath shows the monks in their distinctive orange robes scattered across the ground.  At least eight were pronounced dead at the scene while another 14 were rushed to the hospital with critical injuries.  The others all suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene. Cops secured the scene and are gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses and investigating the cause of the crash. An investigation is ongoing. Police said that the youngster was taken into custody while they investigate how he came to be driving the vehicle. They were also searching for his relatives. According to local media reports, initial inquiries found that the truck had been taken from the boy’s family home without permission.  Horrifying footage from the aftermath shows the monks in their distinctive orange robes scattered across the ground At least eight were pronounced dead at the scene while another 14 were rushed to the hospital Police said that the youngster was taken into custody while they investigate how he came to be driving the vehicle Police reportedly later located the boy's grandmother, who told authorities that her grandson had special needs and had taken the vehicle from home in the morning. She said she did not know where he was going and had alerted police to help intercept the truck. She later heard that the vehicle had passed through the Na Kham Noi checkpoint on its way to Mukdahan town before crashing into the monks near Ban Na Wiang Kae. Traffic cop Lieutenant Theera Kaewnet said: ‘Upon arriving at the scene, I found a large number of monks lying on the road and by the roadside. ‘At first, I thought it was a contingency drill, but when I went down to inspect, I realised it was an actual accident, so I quickly coordinated with local police officers, rescuers and the hospital to urgently assist the injured.' Police said the monks had been walking across the province as part of a pilgrimage to a religious site. They were carrying alms collected along the route. 34 monks took part in the pilgrimage, travelling from the Nam Khun district in Ubon Ratchathani to the Don Tan district in Mukdahan.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.