Six students were crushed to death and 18 others, many of them also students, sustained injuries when the roof of a school building in Sam Ngam district of Phichit province collapsed on them during a heavy rainstorm on Monday evening.

Initial reports indicate that two students died at the scene and four others were pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital in the district.

It is reported that many students and others took shelter in a building of Wat Noen Po School in Noen Po sub-district during the heavy downpour and strong wind before the roof caved in.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the school to extract those trapped under the debris. Over 20 people were pulled out and two of them were found to have died. The rest were taken to hospital, but four were pronounced dead upon arrival.

Phichit Governor Payon Asawapichayon went to the school to supervise rescue operations. A probe is expected to be launched today (Tuesday).