At least 22 people have been killed and more than 60 injured after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in Thailand, officials said Wednesday.
The incident occurred around 9 a.m. in Ban Thanon Khot, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast of Bangkok. Eight people are in critical condition, mostly suffering from head, chest and abdominal injuries, while another 56 have been taken to hospital for treatment, officials from Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health said in a statement.
Rail officials said the crane belonged to a contractor working for a Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project and it fell onto an express train passing through the area, in a statement on social media. Fourteen train services have been canceled.
Images and video from the scene showed the crane slumped over with the train underneath derailed and partially crushed, with smoke pouring out of one of the carriages. Rescue workers had evacuated all passengers, health officials said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakan said there were 195 passengers on board, expressed condolences to the families affected by the incident and ordered a thorough investigation, Thailand’s state railway operator wrote on social media.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said those responsible must be held accountable, noting that the rail construction project has encountered issues before, including a tunnel collapse in 2024 that killed three people, in comments reported by Thailand’s public broadcaster ThaiPBS.
“When such incidents occur, there must be consequences. Someone must be punished for failing to oversee the project properly,” he said.
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