A catastrophic construction accident in north-east Thailand has left at least 22 people dead and dozens more injured after a crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train, causing it to derail and catch fire.
Scene of Devastation in Nakhon Ratchasima
The incident occurred at approximately 9am on Wednesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, north-east of Bangkok. A large crane, which was working on a multi-billion pound high-speed rail project, toppled onto the tracks, striking a train travelling from the capital to Ubon Ratchathani province.
Eyewitness Mitr Intrpanya, 54, described hearing a loud noise followed by two explosions. "When I went to see what had happened, I found the crane sitting on a passenger train with three carriages," he said. "The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half."
Verified footage from the scene showed the crane's broken structure resting on concrete pillars, with smoke billowing from the wrecked carriages below. Rescue workers rushed to extract passengers from the tilted train.
Rescue Efforts and Official Response
District police chief Thatchapon Chinnawong confirmed the death toll had reached 22, with a further 80 people injured. Authorities later paused the rescue operation temporarily due to concerns over a chemical leak at the site.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stated that 195 passengers were on board the train at the time of the accident. He has ordered an immediate investigation to determine the precise cause of the collapse.
The Nakhon Ratchasima provincial public relations department said the derailment and subsequent fire were a direct result of the crane falling onto the train.
Link to Major Infrastructure Project
The construction site is part of a $5.4bn high-speed rail network project backed by China, a key component of Beijing's vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The ambitious plan aims to connect Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos by 2028.
Upon completion, Chinese-made trains are slated to run from Bangkok to the Lao border at speeds of up to 250 km/h, modernising Thailand's ageing rail network which spans roughly 5,000km.
This tragedy highlights ongoing concerns about safety standards at industrial and construction sites in Thailand, where lax regulation enforcement has frequently led to fatal incidents.
