A tragic incident occurred in northeastern Thailand on Wednesday when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train, resulting in a derailment that claimed the lives of at least 32 individuals and left many others injured. The derailment took place on a section of a high-speed rail project aimed at connecting China with various parts of Southeast Asia in the future.
The crane, deployed for constructing an elevated section of the railway, toppled while the train was en route from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province. Reports from the public relations office for Nakhon Ratchasima province, where the accident happened, confirmed the details.
Images circulated in Thai media displayed billows of smoke rising above the scene, with construction machinery dangling between two concrete support columns. Meanwhile, rescue personnel were seen atop overturned train carriages, some with significant damage and visible holes, as shown in footage from public broadcaster ThaiPBS. Remnants of the crane were strewn along the tracks, while paramedics attended to injured passengers.
According to Thai media, the train consisted of three carriages, with the last two bearing the brunt of the damage. Transport Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakan disclosed that 195 passengers were onboard and announced an official inquiry into the incident.
The collapsed elevated section is part of a Thai-Chinese high-speed rail venture linking Bangkok to Nong Khai province on the Laos border. This project, with an estimated investment of approximately $23 billion Cdn, forms part of a broader initiative to link China with Southeast Asia as part of the Belt and Road Initiative by Beijing.
A previous mishap in August 2024, involving a collapsed railway tunnel in Nakhon Ratchasima, resulted in the deaths of three workers. The collapse was attributed to prolonged heavy rainfall in the region.
[Image: Image caption: Aid workers responding to the train accident with 195 people on board. (State Railway of Thailand/The Associated Press)]