At least 31 people were killed and 64 others injured on Wednesday morning after a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in northeastern Thailand. The impact caused three carriages to derail and briefly catch fire.
The accident occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, approximately 230 km northeast of Bangkok. The train was traveling from the capital toward Ubon Ratchathani with 195 people on board.
"The death toll has reached 31, and the search for more bodies is ongoing," Police Colonel Thatchapon Chinnawong told Reuters.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that those killed were located in two of the three carriages struck by the crane. He has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.
The crane was being used for a high-speed rail project currently under construction directly above the existing tracks. Images from the site showed overturned carriages and rescue workers struggling to extract victims from buckled metal.
The high-speed project aims to connect Bangkok to China via Laos. While the project involves international cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that the specific section involved was being built by a Thai enterprise. The segment is part of a line expected to be completed by 2030.
Comment
