Nine people were killed and more than ten others were injured when a pickup truck rammed into a large group of people attending a Kathin celebration in Phrai Bueng district of Thailand’s north-eastern province of Si Sa Ket on Saturday night.

Emergency teams from Phrai Bueng district and other nearby districts rushed to the scene, to take the dead and injured to the district hospital.

Over 20 motorcycles were also damaged.

The pickup driver, who suffered only minor injuries, was arrested at the scene and given a blood-alcohol test, which indicated a blood-alcohol level of 0.24%, which is well in excess of the legal limit, according to police.

Several witnesses told the police that they saw the pickup truck appear to engage in a street race with another car before the accident took place.