At least eight people have been killed and 32 others injured after a freight train struck a bus at a rail crossing in Bangkok, Thai authorities said. The collision occurred near the airport rail link’s Makkasan station, with fire breaking out and engulfing the bus and nearby vehicles.
Deputy transport minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat told reporters that the bus had stopped on the tracks at a red light, preventing the crossing barriers from closing. The train, carrying containers, was unable to stop in time to avoid the collision. All eight fatalities were on the bus, he added.
A witness, motorcycle taxi driver Wanthong Kokpho, described the scene: 'The bus was stuck at a red light, so it couldn’t move. Cars were also blocked and unable to move forward. The fire broke out immediately. If this had been a normal working day, the damage would have been much worse.'
Firefighters and rescue crews were dispatched to the scene, battling the blaze with water hoses and working to pull injured victims from the wreckage. The fire was eventually brought under control, with crews continuing to search for victims and vent gas from the area. Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.
Thailand’s roads rank among the world’s deadliest, according to the World Health Organization, due to weak enforcement of safety standards. The collision also involved cars and motorcycles, though further details were not immediately available.
