A passenger train travelling from Bangkok to Thailand’s northeastern region met with a major accident today after a construction crane collapsed onto one of its coaches. The incident killed 22 people and left more than 30 others injured.

 

According to Thai police officials, the incident occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, located nearly 230 kilometres northeast of the Thai capital. The train was en route to Ubon Ratchathani province when the accident took place. Thailand’s Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said that around 195 passengers were on board when the train met with an accident. 

Preliminary information has suggested that the crane was being used at a construction site for a high-speed railway project running parallel to the existing rail line. While the train was passing through the area, the crane reportedly lost balance and collapsed, striking a moving carriage.

 

The impact caused several coaches to derail, and parts of the train briefly caught fire, adding to the chaos at the site. Emergency responders, including firefighters, medical teams, and disaster response units, rushed to the scene to carry out rescue and relief operations. According to the Thai government’s public relations department, many passengers were trapped inside the carriages at the time of the accident.