At least 31 people have died in Thailand after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving train, causing it to derail and catch fire. The incident occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 230km northeast of Bangkok, on Wednesday morning.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that 195 passengers were on board the train at the time. At least 64 others were injured, with seven in serious condition. The train, special express number 21, was travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani at around 120km/h when it was struck by the falling crane at approximately 9.13am local time.
The crane was part of a Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project linking Bangkok to Nong Khai near the Laos border. The company responsible, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD), expressed its deepest condolences and said it would take full responsibility, providing compensation and assistance to victims' families and medical care to the injured.
Acting Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called for all responsible parties to be held accountable. He noted that the joint project had experienced previous incidents, including a tunnel collapse about a year ago that killed three workers. The cause of the latest accident is under investigation.
