At least 32 people have been killed and more than 60 injured after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in north-eastern Thailand, in one of the deadliest rail-related accidents in the country in recent years.
The incident occurred at around 09:00 local time in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, when a crane working on an elevated high-speed rail structure fell onto a Bangkok–Ubon Ratchathani passenger service.
The impact derailed several coaches, crushed sections of the train and caused a fire in at least one carriage. Authorities said 171 passengers were on board at the time, including commuters and students, with seven people in critical condition.
Local media reporting cited by the BBC said the crane was lifting a large concrete section when it failed, dropping debris directly onto the train as it passed below. Witnesses described fragments falling moments before the crane slid down and struck the train, with the entire incident unfolding in less than a minute.
The collapse occurred on works linked to the Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway, a China-backed $5.4bn project designed to connect Thailand with Laos and onward rail links into south-western China.
Italian-Thai contractor
Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, the contractor responsible for the Lam Takhong–Sikhio section where the incident occurred, said it regretted the incident and would provide compensation and relief to affected families.
Thailand’s State Railway has launched an investigation and announced it is pursuing legal action against the construction company.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that “someone must be punished and held accountable”, adding that accidents of this nature only occur due to “negligence, skipped steps, deviations from the design, or the use of incorrect materials.”
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