A tragic incident has occurred in Thailand, where a crane collapse on a passenger train has resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people. The accident took place in Nakhon Ratchasima province, located northeast of the capital, Bangkok.
According to officials, the crane, which was being used in a high-speed rail project backed by China, collapsed onto the passing train, causing it to derail. Footage from the scene showed the crane’s broken structure resting on giant concrete pillars, with smoke rising from the wreckage of the train below.
Rescue workers were immediately dispatched to the site, working tirelessly to extract passengers from the tilted carriages. The health ministry has reported that 32 people were killed and 64 were hospitalised, with seven in serious condition.
Mitr Intrpanya, a local resident who witnessed the incident, recounted the harrowing events: “At around 9am, I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions. When I went to see what had happened, I found the crane sitting on a passenger train with three carriages.”
The accident occurred at a construction site that is part of a $5.4 billion project to build a high-speed rail network connecting Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos, as part of China’s vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The project aims to be completed by 2028.
The district police chief, Thatchapon Chinnawong, stated that the rescue operation was temporarily paused due to “chemical leakage” at the scene. The transport minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, confirmed that 195 people were on board the train at the time of the incident, and authorities were working to identify the deceased.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed the need to determine the cause of the crane collapse and hold those responsible accountable. He also suggested that it was time to change the law to “blacklist” construction companies that are repeatedly involved in such accidents.
Thailand’s railway network has long been in a run-down state, with many people favouring travel by road. The high-speed rail project was seen as a major infrastructure development, but this tragic incident has highlighted the importance of prioritising safety and accountability in such large-scale projects.
