On Wednesday, January 14th, a major railway accident occurred in northeast Thailand. A crane collapsed during the construction of a high-speed rail project, hitting a passenger train in transit, resulting in at least 22 deaths and 79 injuries. The accident caused the train to derail and catch fire, with rescue operations still ongoing.
This incident took place around 9:13 am local time in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 230 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. The train was en route from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani when a crane involved in the high-speed rail project suddenly collapsed, directly striking the train carriages, causing the train to derail and triggering a brief fire, which has now been extinguished.
According to local media reports, most of the passengers on board were students and office workers.
From the scene photos, it can be seen that the train consisted of 3 carriages. While the first carriage narrowly escaped, the second and third carriages behind were hit squarely by the crane, causing severe deformation of the car bodies.
Initially, the police stated that rescue teams searching the damaged carriages had found 12 bodies, with 7 passengers feared to have no chance of survival inside the burning carriage. The death toll is expected to rise.
Subsequently, the public relations department of Nakhon Ratchasima province released updated data, revising the death toll from the initial 12 to 22.
Furthermore, at least 79 people were injured in the accident, with 8 sustaining serious injuries. Some passengers are still trapped in the deformed carriages, and rescue teams are working tirelessly to save them.
The Bangkok-Laos High-Speed Railway involved in this incident is a key infrastructure project championed by the Thai government, aiming to enhance regional transportation and economic connections by linking the rail networks of Laos and China.
Currently, the accident site has been completely sealed off, and the Thai government is conducting a thorough investigation into the exact cause of the crane collapse. The authorities are determined to clarify whether it was due to equipment failure, construction negligence, or other safety management loopholes that led to this railway tragedy.