Ayutthaya Farmer Dies After Tractor Overturns Into Irrigation Canal

Farmer found beneath overturned tractor in Bang Ban

Police and rescue workers were alerted at about 14:00 to an accident along an irrigation canal road in Moo 1, Kop Chao subdistrict. They found the tractor overturned in the canal, with its wheels pointing upwards and about half of the vehicle underwater.

The recovery operation

The driver was identified as Samran Charitkhuan, 61. Rescue workers used a crane to lift the tractor from the water before recovering his body. Relatives and family members gathered at the canal as the operation took place.

Family began searching when he failed to return

Neighbour Sangwan Buaprasert, 61, told Khaosod English that Samran would normally leave home early to work in his rice fields and return for lunch. When he did not come home, his family became concerned and began looking for him. Samran's wife later found the tractor submerged in the canal and alerted relatives and neighbours.

Samran would normally leave home early in the morning to work in his rice fields and return home for lunch.

Sangwan Buaprasert, a neighbour, as reported by Khaosod English

One relative entered the water to investigate and found Samran trapped beneath the vehicle, but he could not be rescued in time. The sequence of events was reported in the account of the search and recovery.

The family’s search followed three reported developments:

• Samran failed to return home at midday after leaving to work in the rice fields.
• His wife found the tractor submerged in the irrigation canal and alerted relatives and neighbours.
• A relative entered the water, discovered Samran beneath the tractor and was unable to free him.

Police have not established the exact cause

Police documented the scene and said further inquiries would be conducted. Investigators initially believed Samran had been driving from the canal-side road towards a rice field when the tractor lost control on a bend, overturned and fell into the canal.

What is known and what remains under investigation

Body sent for post-mortem examination

Police said Samran appeared to have been pinned beneath the tractor and drowned. His body was taken to Bang Ban Hospital for a post-mortem examination and was later to be released to his family for religious rites.

The examination and continuing police inquiries are the next reported steps in clarifying the circumstances of the crash. No final cause was given in the report.