At least 28 people dead and dozens injured after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in the morning at Sikhio district—around 230 kilometres northeast of the capital Bangkok—on a train travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani.
According to BBC, local media aired live images from the crash zone showing rescue teams swarming the area, with one brightly painted carriage lying on its side as plumes of smoke drifted upward.
Officials said firefighters quickly brought the flames under control and emergency crews were continuing search and recovery efforts.
“Twenty-two people were killed and over 30 sustained injuries,” local police chief Thatchapon Chinnawong told AFP.
However, the province’s public relations office stated on Facebook that four bodies had been retrieved at an early stage of the operation, indicating that casualty figures may fluctuate as the response continues.
According to Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, there were 195 passengers on board at the time of the derailment, and authorities are working to confirm identities of the deceased.
The crane involved in the tragedy formed part of a multibillion-dollar high-speed railway project backed by China. The $5.4-billion line is designed to link Bangkok with Kunming in China through Laos by 2028 under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Thai officials have launched an inquiry to determine how the crane collapsed onto active rail tracks during passenger operations.
