A major construction crane has collapsed onto a moving train in northeastern Thailand, causing a devastating derailment and fire that has left at least twelve people dead and forty others injured.
Scene of the Disaster
The catastrophic incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday 14 January 2026 in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province. The massive crane, which was part of a project to build an elevated high-speed road through the region, fell directly onto the train.
The impact caused multiple carriages to leave the tracks and burst into flames. Emergency services rushed to the scene, with images from the State Railway of Thailand showing rescuers desperately searching for survivors trapped within the mangled wreckage.
Ongoing Rescue and Rising Toll
Authorities have now managed to bring the fire under control, but the operation remains critical. Police have warned that the death toll is expected to rise as emergency teams continue their painstaking search through the severely damaged and derailed carriages.
The scale of the collapse and the resulting fire has made the rescue effort particularly challenging. The focus remains on locating any remaining passengers who may still be trapped inside the train.
Investigation and Aftermath
While the immediate priority is saving lives, questions will inevitably turn to the cause of the crane's failure. The project, aimed at improving transport infrastructure in the Sikhio region, is now at the centre of a major tragedy.
The community in Nakhon Ratchasima is reeling from the shock of the accident, which serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers associated with large-scale construction projects near active transport lines.
