Thailand Crane Collapse Kills 22, Hits Train

By Staff, Agencies

At least 22 people were killed and many more injured when a crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Thailand on Wednesday, derailing it, officials said.

Footage from the scene verified by Agence France-Presse showed the crane’s broken structure resting on giant concrete pillars, with smoke rising from the wreckage of the train below.

Rescuers worked to extract passengers from the tilted carriages in Nakhon Ratchasima province, north-east of the capital, Bangkok.

“I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down, followed by two explosions,” said local resident Mitr Intrpanya who was at the scene. “The crane struck the second carriage, slicing it in half.”

Thatchapon Chinnawong, the district police chief, said 22 people were dead and 80 injured. “We are now asking the hospital to say how many people are in critical condition,” he added.

The crane collapse on a Bangkok–Ubon Ratchathani train at a $5.4bn high-speed rail site linked to China’s Belt and Road project killed 22 of the 195 onboard, injured 80, and paused rescue efforts due to chemical leakage, officials said. Authorities are identifying the dead and investigating the cause.

Thailand’s 5,000km rail network is aging, and road travel is more common. The new 600km high-speed line will link Bangkok to Nong Khai at up to 250 km/h. Industrial accidents are frequent in Thailand due to lax safety enforcement.