In a tragic accident in northeastern Thailand, at least 29 people were killed after a construction crane working on an elevated high-speed railway project collapsed onto a moving passenger train, leading to a massive derailment and fire. As per details, the train was travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province when the incident occurred which triggered chaos on the tracks, leaving rescuers scrambling to save lives.
Train derails and catches fire
According to the Public Relations Department of Nakhon Ratchasima, the crane crashed directly onto the train mid-journey, causing multiple coaches to derail before bursting into flames. Four bodies were immediately recovered from the site while rescue teams rushed the injured to nearby hospitals. Over 30 passengers have sustained injuries, though the exact number of people on board is still unclear, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Rescue efforts underway
Authorities stated that the fire has been brought under control. Search and rescue teams are currently combing through the mangled compartments to locate passengers who may still be trapped inside the train. Emergency workers, firefighters and police personnel have been deployed in large numbers as officials work to understand the full scale of the tragedy. The cause of the crane collapse is yet to be determined and an investigation is expected to begin soon, as per officials.
The incident led to huge destruction
Fresh videos circulating on social media have revealed the alarming scale of destruction after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in northeastern Thailand. Visuals showed rescue teams cutting through mangled metal as they worked to pull out passengers trapped inside derailed coaches. Firefighters, medical teams and disaster response units rushed to the spot within minutes, joining an extensive rescue and relief effort. Thailand's Public Relations Department confirmed the incident on platform X, noting that multiple rescue teams were deployed immediately after the crane collapse. Officials said many passengers were still trapped inside the train when emergency crews arrived, prompting a full-scale extraction operation.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn later stated that the train had been carrying around 195 passengers at the time of the crash. Authorities are now working to identify the victims while providing urgent medical care to the injured, several of whom remain in critical condition. The crane that collapsed was part of a high-speed rail construction project worth an estimated 5.4 billion dollars. The China-backed initiative aims to establish a high-speed rail network linking Bangkok to Kunming in China through Laos by 2028, under the broader Belt and Road infrastructure programme.
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