An 11-year-old boy driving a pickup truck without permission struck a procession of Buddhist monks in northeastern Thailand on Thursday, killing 10 and injuring at least 10 others, local authorities said. The boy lost control of the vehicle and ploughed into the group as they walked along a road in Mukdahan province.

Five monks died at the scene and five more succumbed to injuries in hospital, medical sources reported. Initial reports had put the death toll at eight, but authorities later confirmed the higher figure. Two of the injured remained in critical condition on Friday, while eight others were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries. The Mukdahan hospital issued an urgent appeal for blood donations. The procession comprised 35 monks and five lay followers on a pilgrimage to Ubon Ratchathani province, about 260 kilometres away. Security camera footage released by a local rescue association showed the pickup swerving before leaving the road and hitting the column.

Police are investigating the exact circumstances, including how the child obtained the vehicle and the sequence of events leading to the crash. The boy was taken into custody, and authorities have requested his parents present themselves to determine legal responsibility. The vehicle has been impounded.

In the immediate aftermath, a 61-year-old nurse, Wiwat Laonoi, who was passing by, provided emergency care despite a Buddhist custom that prohibits physical contact between women and monks. Wiwat, who has been a nurse for nearly four decades, said she was the first responder at the scene and had to 'stay clear-headed' as she moved from one victim to the next, checking pulses and performing CPR. She told the AFP news agency that bystanders warned her, 'Wait, that's a monk!', but she replied, 'It doesn't matter, right now, this is a patient.' The investigation remains ongoing, and no charges have been announced.