Post by : Meena Ariff

At least 22 people were killed and more than 30 others injured after a passenger train derailed in northeastern Thailand on Wednesday morning when a construction crane collapsed onto one of its carriages, authorities said.

The accident occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, around 230 kilometres northeast of Bangkok. The train was travelling from the Thai capital to Ubon Ratchathani province when the incident took place.

According to local police, the crane was part of ongoing construction work for a high-speed rail project running close to the railway line. While the train was passing through the area, the crane suddenly collapsed and struck a carriage with significant force. The impact caused multiple carriages to derail, and a fire briefly broke out inside part of the train.

Emergency services, including police, firefighters and medical teams, were immediately dispatched to the scene. Thick smoke could be seen rising from the wreckage as rescue workers battled the fire and searched for survivors. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control, preventing it from spreading further along the train.

Rescue teams worked for several hours in difficult conditions, using heavy cutting tools to break through twisted metal and damaged carriages to reach trapped passengers. Several injured victims were pulled from the wreckage and given first aid at the site before being rushed to nearby hospitals for further treatment.

Videos shared on social media showed chaotic scenes at the crash site, with emergency personnel carrying injured passengers away from the wreckage as debris lay scattered along the tracks. Authorities set up a security cordon around the area to allow rescue and recovery operations to continue safely.

Police confirmed that all injured passengers had been evacuated and medical assistance was ongoing. Rail services along the affected route were temporarily suspended as officials assessed the damage and cleared the tracks.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crane collapse. Officials said they were examining whether safety lapses, mechanical failure or human error played a role in the incident. No further details have been released so far.

The tragedy has raised concerns over construction safety near active railway lines, as authorities face pressure to ensure stricter safety measures during large infrastructure projects.

#Global News #Thailand News