Collapsed Crane Falls on Train... Over 25 Dead in Thailand High-Speed Rail Accident

Crane Collapses During Elevated Railway Construction

At a high-speed rail construction site in Thailand, a collapsed crane fell onto a train running on the existing tracks, resulting in at least 25 deaths.

On the morning of the 14th (local time), local police reported that a crane collapsed at the high-speed rail construction site in the Sikhio area of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, central Thailand, causing at least 25 deaths and injuring more than 80 people.

On the morning of the 14th (local time), a crane collapsed at the elevated high-speed rail construction site in Sikio area, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, central Thailand, crushing a train passing underneath the existing railway, resulting in at least 25 deaths. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The crane collapsed and fell onto the railway tracks below the construction site, crushing two passenger cars of a train traveling from the capital Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani Province in the east. As a result, the train cars derailed and caught fire, leading to casualties.

So far, 19 bodies have been recovered, but as the collapsed crane has started to move, not all the bodies inside the train cars have been retrieved yet. Local police also reported that chemical substances leaked at the scene, temporarily halting rescue operations.

The Thai Ministry of Transport stated that there were 195 passengers on the train and that they are making every effort to identify the victims.