At least 25 people have died and around 80 others have been injured after a passenger train derailed in northeastern Thailand on Wednesday. The derailment occurred when a construction crane working above the tracks collapsed onto three carriages, police said.
Train Struck by Crane in Nakhon Ratchasima
The accident happened on Wednesday morning in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 230 kilometres northeast of Bangkok. The train had been travelling from the capital to Ubon Ratchathani province when the crane fell, crushing several carriages and setting off a brief fire.
Police Colonel Thatchapon Chinnawong confirmed that rescue operations were continuing. “The death toll has now reached 25. The search for more bodies is ongoing,” he told Reuters by phone.
Investigation Ordered as Search Continues
Thailand’s Transport Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, said there were 195 passengers on board at the time of the crash. In a statement, he ordered a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the collapse. According to the minister, the fatalities occurred in two of the three carriages struck by the crane.
The crane had been part of a high-speed rail construction project when it gave way, striking the passing train and causing it to derail. Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze shortly after the collision, as smoke was seen billowing from the wreckage.
Images released by the transport ministry showed overturned carriages lying beside shrubland. Video footage verified by Reuters showed rescue teams working to extract trapped passengers, while others were being carried to waiting ambulances.
High-Speed Rail Project Under Scrutiny
The collapsed crane was involved in the elevated high-speed rail line currently being built above the existing railway. Part of the crane remains supported by concrete stanchions designed for the new link. The project is one of several major infrastructure developments under way in Thailand and is intended to connect the country’s rail network with China through Laos.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing was closely following developments. “The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety of projects and personnel and is looking into the situation,” she said at a press briefing. She added that the section of track where the accident occurred was under construction by a Thai enterprise.
According to Thailand’s transport authorities, more than a third of the Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima section has been completed, and the entire line extending to Nong Khai, near the Laos border, is expected to open by 2030.
with inputs from Reuters
