Scores Killed in Thailand’s Train Derailment After Crane Collapse

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BANGKOK (Worthy News) – The death toll of a train derailment in Thailand rose to at least scores of people on Wednesday, officials said, as rescue efforts continued.

Thailand’s Health Ministry said at least 31 people were killed and 64 injured after a construction crane fell on two of the train’s carriages, causing its derailment in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 230 kilometers (143 miles) northeast of Bangkok.

Special express train number 21 was traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani, a major city in northeastern Thailand near the borders with Laos and Cambodia, officials said.

A falling construction crane struck the train at around 9:13 a.m. local time, after it departed Nong Nam Khun station in Nakhon Ratchasima province and was heading to the next station at 120 kilometers per hour (about 75 miles per hour), authorities confirmed.

DEADLY COLLISION DURING RAIL CONSTRUCTION

Investigators said the crane that fell on the train was part of an elevated high-speed rail construction project running alongside the existing railway line.

Survivors described scenes of panic and chaos as the crane struck the train, with passengers attempting to help one another escape damaged carriages.

Video and images obtained by Worthy News showed overturned carriages, debris scattered along the tracks, smoke rising from the wreckage, and emergency workers searching for victims.

Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said 195 passengers were on board and that he had ordered the governor of the State Railway of Thailand to conduct a “thorough and comprehensive” investigation into the cause of the accident.

OFFICIAL RESPONSE AND INVESTIGATION

The minister added that authorities were verifying the identities of those affected and closely monitoring the injured, noting that compensation would be provided to the families of the deceased if they were railway employees.

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called on “all responsible parties” to be punished and held accountable for the incident.

Investigators said the train had three carriages, with the crane striking the middle carriage. Officials said most of those killed or injured were traveling in the second and last carriages.

The disaster has renewed scrutiny of rail safety in Thailand, where conventional passenger services operate alongside major modernization and high-speed rail projects.

RAIL SAFETY UNDER SCRUTINY

Thailand’s rail system, operated by the State Railway of Thailand, carries millions of passengers annually but has long faced criticism over aging infrastructure, maintenance challenges, and construction-site safety, particularly where new projects intersect with active rail lines.

Wednesday’s derailment is among the deadliest train accidents in Thailand in recent years and is expected to prompt renewed calls for stricter construction oversight and improved safety coordination between rail operators and contractors.

Officials warned the casualty toll could still rise as rescue and recovery operations continued.

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