In a freak accident that occurred in northeastern Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province on Wednesday, a construction crane fell on a passenger train, killing at least 22 people, officials said.
The crane, being used at a China-backed elevated high-speed rail line, collapsed onto the moving train which was travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province, causing the train to derail and catch fire, according to Nakhon Ratchasima’s Public Relations Department.
“Twenty-two people were killed and more than 30 were injured,” a local police chief in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thatchapon Chinnawong, said.
The department said in a Facebook post that the fire was under control and that rescuers were searching for people trapped inside the train.
Thailand’s Transport Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, said 195 people were on board the train and that authorities were rushing to identify the deceased.
The crane was being used in the construction of a US$5.4-billion project to build a high-speed rail network in Thailand to connect Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos. The project was slated to be completed by 2028.
Industrial and construction site accidents are not uncommon in Thailand, where safety regulations are lax, leading to deadly accidents.
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