Thailand Horror: 32 Killed as Crane Crashes Onto Passenger Train
At least 32 people were killed and dozens injured after a construction crane collapsed onto a train in Thailand, raising questions over construction safety standards.
At least 32 people were killed and 66 others injured when a construction crane fell onto a moving train in northeastern Thailand.
The crane caused the train to derail, crushing several carriages, one of which caught fire. According to officials, the injured included a one-year-old child and an 85-year-old man, and seven people are in critical condition.
Authorities said the train was carrying approximately 171 passengers when the accident occurred at around 09:00 local time (02:00 GMT).
The State Railway of Thailand has launched an investigation into the incident and announced that it is taking legal action against the construction company responsible for the crane.
Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited said it expressed its condolences and would provide compensation and relief to the families of those killed or injured.
The accident happened as the train was traveling from Bangkok to the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, carrying mostly students and workers commuting to school and work in other districts.
Local outlet The Nation reported that the incident occurred when the crane was lifting a large concrete section, which fell onto the train, causing several carriages to derail.
A survivor, train staff member Thirasak Wongsungnern, told local media that he and other passengers were thrown into the air after the crane fell.
An eyewitness, Maliwan Nakthorn,Thai that she saw the moment the crane fell. She said, "Small pieces, like pieces of concrete, started falling." "After they fell, the crane slowly slid down and crashed. It crashed loudly, and then came down and crushed the train."
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She added, "The whole thing happened in less than a minute." Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who was scheduled to visit the site later on Wednesday, has demanded that "someone be punished and held accountable" for the incident.
"Such accidents can only happen due to negligence, disregard for regulations, deviations from the design, or the use of substandard materials," Anutin said.
The crane was being used to construct an overhead railway, part of a $5.4 billion (£4 billion) Chinese-backed project that will connect Bangkok to neighboring Laos, which already has a high-speed line built by China running to southwestern China. Officially known as the Bangkok-Nong Khai HSR Development for Regional Connectivity, the Italian-Thai Development Company was identified as the firm in charge of the Lam Takhong-Sikhiu section where the incident occurred.
Thailand's State Railway has announced it is suing the company. The initial cost of the damage to the train carriages alone is estimated at more than 100 million baht (US$31 million).
The company, one of Thailand's largest contractors, was responsible for the construction of a Bangkok skyscraper that collapsed during an earthquake last March. Last year, the company's president and several designers and engineers were charged with professional negligence in connection with that incident. Some have denied wrongdoing.
Chinese state media reported that the Chinese embassy in Thailand said no Chinese construction companies or workers were involved in the accident.
Deadly construction accidents are common in Thailand, partly due to lax enforcement of safety standards and regulations.
In 2023, a freight train collided with a pickup truck crossing the tracks in the east of the country, killing eight people and injuring four others. Over the past seven years, nearly 150 people have been killed in numerous accidents on a road improvement project stretching from Bangkok to the south of the country.
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