A horror school bus crash killed a driver and injured dozens of pupils in eastern Thailand.

Female driver Wassana, 60, was taking the youngsters to school when she crashed into an oncoming bus in Rayong province.

The impact crushed Wassana against the steering wheel, leaving the school bus rolling uncontrollably across Highway No. 3143 at around 7 am today.

CCTV footage shows the vehicle with children still onboard moving slowly along the lane. Shocked locals screamed when they saw a schoolgirl being dragged at the back of the school bus before it stopped on the roadside.

Officers and medics rushed to the scene, where they found the bus's front section completely destroyed.

Wassana was found lifeless in the driver's seat and pronounced dead at the scene. Twenty-three students were taken to Ban Khai Hospital with injuries, while one was later transferred to Rayong Hospital in serious condition.

Nearby was another damaged bus that had been taking factory employees to work. Five injured passengers were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Police Lieutenant Sahatsawat Phupharat of the Ban Khai Police Station said: 'Initial investigations suggested the school bus had pulled out recklessly from an alley, colliding with the oncoming bus.

'We are taking photographs and collecting evidence at the scene, as well as questioning witnesses and the bus driver. We are also checking security cameras in nearby areas to determine the cause of the accident.'

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

However, a lack of road safety education in schools along with notoriously easy driving tests, police failures to enforce road laws, and chronic under-investment in infrastructure, all appear to hamper the efforts.