Crane collapse derails passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima, 22 killed

At least 22 people have been killed and scores injured after a crane collapsed onto a passenger train, derailing it on Wednesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, north-east of Bangkok, officials said. Footage verified by Agence France-Presse showed the crane’s broken structure resting on concrete pillars and smoke rising from wreckage below as rescuers extracted passengers from tilted carriages.

“At around 9am, I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions,” said local resident Mitr Intrpanya. District police chief Thatchapon Chinnawong said 22 people had been confirmed dead and 80 more injured, and the provincial public relations department said the crane collapse caused the train to derail and catch fire.

The transport minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, said 195 people were on board and authorities were pausing rescue operations because of a reported chemical leakage; the train was travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province. The accident occurred at a construction site that is part of a $5.4bn, Beijing-backed project to build a high-speed rail network intended to link Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos by 2028.

Authorities are trying to identify the deceased and the transport minister has ordered officials to determine the cause of the accident.

Key Topics

World, Crane Collapse, Nakhon Ratchasima, Bangkok, Ubon Ratchathani, High-speed Rail