On the morning of January 14th, a major accident occurred at a “Belt and Road” construction project in Bangkok, Thailand. A crane suddenly collapsed, hitting a moving passenger train, causing the train to derail and catch fire. As of the afternoon, the accident has resulted in at least 30 deaths and 67 injuries. The high-speed rail project where the collapse occurred was invested and constructed by China.
According to the latest report from Saraburi Province in Thailand on the afternoon of the 14th, the ongoing railway accident has so far claimed 30 lives and left 67 injured.
The accident took place around 9:13 am local time in the Sikhio district of Saraburi 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 hitting the train carriages, causing the train to derail and briefly catch fire, which has since been extinguished.
Photos released by Thai media showed initially white smoke rising at the scene, turning into black, as the crane collapsed between two concrete support columns.
Several rescue videos from the scene have been circulating on the internet.
Local media reports indicate that most of the passengers on the train were students and commuters.
The China-Thailand railway (also known as the China-Thailand High-Speed Rail, Bangkok-Lampang High-Speed Railway) is a key construction project promoted by the Thai government to connect with the Chinese railway network through Laos. The project has faced significant delays since its collaboration began in 2014, stretching over a decade, with multiple setbacks and falling behind schedule. The initial target for completion was 2021, which has now been pushed to 2026, 2027, 2028, with the latest goal being the first phase in 2028 and full line operation expected in 2030 (including the Saraburi-Lampang section).
According to reports from Agence France-Presse, the collapsed high-speed rail project was invested and built by China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to the China-Thailand railway accident during a press conference today, mentioning that while the cause of the accident is still under investigation, she shifted the blame early by saying, “Based on the current observation, the related section was under construction by a Thai company.”
This marks the second major accident to occur in Chinese construction projects in Thailand. The previous accident took place on March 28, 2025, when the 33-story building of the Thailand National Audit Office, constructed by China Railway Tenth Bureau, suddenly collapsed, resulting in at least 95 deaths, with 9 injuries and 1 person missing.