At least 32 people have died and dozens more were injured after a crane collapsed onto a passenger train in northeastern Thailand, causing it to derail. The incident occurred in Nakhon Ratchasima province, approximately 250 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, on a train travelling from the capital to Ubon Ratchathani province.
Footage from the scene showed the broken crane resting on giant concrete pillars, with smoke rising from the wreckage below. Rescuers worked to extract passengers from the tilted carriages. Local resident Mitr Intrpanya, 54, described hearing a loud noise followed by two explosions, and finding the crane on top of a passenger train with three carriages. He said the metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half.
The health ministry reported 32 dead and 64 hospitalised, seven in serious condition. The train was carrying 195 passengers. The crash occurred at a construction site for a $5.4 billion high-speed rail project backed by China, part of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. The railway aims to connect Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos by 2028.
Rescue operations were temporarily paused due to a chemical leak at the scene. Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said authorities were working to identify the deceased. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called for accountability, noting that such incidents happen regularly and suggesting blacklisting construction companies responsible for repeated accidents.
Industrial and construction site accidents are common in Thailand, where lax enforcement of safety regulations often leads to fatalities. The country has around 5,000 kilometres of railway, but much of the network is run-down, driving people to prefer road travel.
