Thailand Reports 32 Deaths After Crane Hits Train
At least 32 people died and 66 were injured when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving train in northeast Thailand.
The crane derailed the train and crushed several of its carriages, one of which caught fire. According to officials, the injured included a one-year-old child and an 85-year-old man, while seven others are in critical condition.
Officials say there were about 171 passengers on the train when the accident occurred at 9:00 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT).
Thailand’s State Railways has launched an investigation into the incident and announced legal action against the construction company responsible for the crane.
Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited expressed condolences and will provide compensation and relief to the families of those killed or injured.
The train was traveling from Bangkok to the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani when the accident occurred. Most of the passengers were students and laborers who were going to school and working in other districts.
According to local outlet The Nation, the incident occurred when a crane was lifting a large chunk of concrete, which fell on the train, causing several carriages to derail.
Train staff member Thirasak Wongsungorn told local media that he and other passengers were thrown into the air when the crane fell on them.
An eyewitness, Maliwan Nakthon, said he saw the moment the crane collapsed. “Small pieces of concrete started falling,” he said. “After they fell, the crane slowly slid down and crashed. It made a huge impact and then came down and crushed the train.” He added, “The whole incident took less than a minute.”
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is due to visit the scene on Wednesday, called for “someone to be punished and held accountable” for the incident.
“Such accidents can only be caused by negligence, missed steps, design deviations, or the use of the wrong materials,” Anutin said.
The crane was being used to build an overhead railway that is part of a US$5.4 billion (£4 billion) Chinese-backed project to connect Bangkok with neighboring Laos, where a Chinese-built high-speed line already runs to southwest China.
The Italian-Thai development company, officially known as the Bangkok-Nong Khai HSR Development for Regional Connectivity, is listed as in charge of the Lam Takhong-Sikhio section where the incident occurred.
Thailand’s State Railways has announced that it is suing the company. The initial cost of the damage to the train carriages alone is estimated to be more than 100 million baht (US$31 million).
One of Thailand’s largest contractors, the company was responsible for building a skyscraper in Bangkok that collapsed during an earthquake last March. Last year, the company’s president and several designers and engineers were charged with professional negligence over the incident. Some have denied wrongdoing.
The Chinese embassy in Thailand said that no Chinese construction companies or workers were involved in the collapse, according to Chinese state media.
Thailand continues to suffer from serious construction accidents, largely due to lax enforcement of safety standards and regulations.
In 2023, a freight train collided with a pickup truck crossing railway tracks in the east of the country, killing eight people and injuring four others. Nearly 150 people have been killed in numerous accidents over the past seven years on a road improvement project from Bangkok to the south of the country.
