At least eight people have been killed and 35 others injured after a freight train collided with a bus at full speed in Bangkok on Saturday. The incident occurred at a busy downtown intersection used by tens of thousands of vehicles daily.
Collision Details
Firefighters and rescue workers cordoned off the collision site, with investigators seen peering into the burnt-out shell of the bus. Pedestrians were ushered away from the area. Bangkok police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit confirmed the death toll and noted that two of the injured were in serious condition.
The collision happened early in the afternoon. Images and videos on social media showed the train approaching a level crossing at a moderate speed before colliding with the bus. The impact dragged several nearby vehicles along the tracks before the bus was engulfed in flames. Several motorcycles and their riders were thrown onto the road.
Rescue Efforts
“The fire is now out, and we are trying to recover the bodies,” Urumporn said. The flames spread quickly, and later videos showed rescuers entering the charred bus after the fire was brought under control. A witness near the intersection with her daughter told Thai PBS, “I didn’t dare look back to see if there were any victims.” Another witness told Royal Thai Police TV that their car had been at the railway crossing. “I’m still in shock. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise and something hit my car, pushing it away. Then I saw the bus stuck to the train and flames everywhere. I was terrified,” they said.
Investigation
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat told reporters at the crash site that all the bodies were found on the bus and that it was unclear how many people were on board. When asked about reports that the bus had stopped on the railway tracks and that the barriers may not have lowered properly, Siripong said the matter needs to be investigated. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an investigation into the incident.
Context
Deadly transport accidents are common in Thailand, which regularly tops lists of the world's most lethal roads, with speeding, drunk driving, and weak law enforcement contributing factors. In January, a crane collapse onto a passenger train killed 32 people in Thailand's northeast. In 2020, a collision between a freight train and a bus carrying passengers to a religious ceremony killed 18 people. Three years later, eight people died in a collision between a freight train and a pickup truck crossing a railway line in the east of the country.
