At least thirty-one people have been killed and dozens more injured after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in northeast Thailand, causing a catastrophic derailment and fire.
Catastrophe on the Tracks
The special express train, number 21, was travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani at approximately 120kmph when the disaster struck. At around 9.13am local time on Wednesday, a crane working on an elevated section of a new railway line fell onto the train in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province.
The impact was devastating. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that 195 passengers were on board the three-carriage service. The crane struck the middle carriage with such force that eyewitnesses described it as "slicing it in half". The majority of the fatalities and injuries occurred in the second and final carriages.
Mitr Intrpanya, a 54-year-old local resident, recounted 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," he told AFP.
Rescue and Response
Emergency services rushed to the scene, where images showed plumes of smoke rising from overturned carriages with gaping holes torn in their sides. Rescue workers were seen standing on top of the wreckage in a desperate effort to reach survivors.
Of the 64 people injured, seven were reported to be in a serious condition. Those with the most critical injuries were transferred to major hospitals, while others received treatment closer to the crash site, which is located about 230km northeast of Bangkok.
Thailand's acting Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, demanded accountability, calling for "all responsible parties" to be punished. He suggested the cause was likely negligence, citing skipped steps or the use of incorrect materials. A thorough investigation has been ordered into the cause of the accident.
Project Under Scrutiny
The crane was part of construction work on the ambitious Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, a key part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative intended to link Bangkok with Nong Khai on the Laos border. The section where the collapse occurred, the Lam Takhong-Sikhio segment, was being built by Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD), one of Thailand's largest construction firms.
The company expressed its "deepest condolences" and stated it "takes full responsibility", pledging compensation for families of the deceased and medical care for the injured. This tragedy casts a renewed shadow over ITD and the high-speed project. ITD was involved in a building collapse in Bangkok in March that killed at least 95 people, leading to negligence charges against company officials.
Prime Minister Charnvirakul noted the joint project had experienced "several incidents before", including a fatal tunnel collapse about a year ago. The Chinese government has sought to distance itself from this latest disaster, pointing out that the section was being constructed by a Thai company.
This incident ranks among the deadliest rail accidents in Thailand in recent years, highlighting serious safety concerns surrounding major infrastructure projects.
