At least 22 people have been killed in a horrific accident in Thailand after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday morning in Sikhiu district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, in the northeastern outskirts of the capital Bangkok, according to international media reports.
Preliminary information from Thai police initially confirmed 12 deaths. However, as rescue teams continued to recover bodies from the wreckage, the death toll is feared to have risen to at least 22. At least 30 others were injured in the incident, many of them critically.
Police said the accident took place when a passenger train travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani reached the Sikhiu area of Nakhon Ratchasima. Construction work for a high-speed rail project was underway along the route at the time. A large crane being used at the site suddenly collapsed and crashed onto one of the train’s carriages. The impact caused the train to derail, and several coaches caught fire.
Firefighters, police and rescue teams rushed to the scene immediately after the incident, bringing the blaze under control and launching a large-scale rescue operation. Rescuers are continuing to recover the injured and the dead from the scattered debris, as severely mangled train coaches lie twisted at the site.
Thailand’s railway authorities said that, according to seating records, a total of 195 passengers and railway staff were on board the train at the time of the accident. The injured have been rushed to nearby government and private hospitals for treatment.
Meanwhile, authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident, including whether there were any lapses in safety measures at the construction site.
Source: Reuters, BBC.