Crane Collapse Causes Deadly Train Derailment Northeast of Bangkok

A construction crane fell onto a passenger train northeast of Bangkok in Nakhon Ratchasima, causing it to derail and catch fire. At least 22 people were killed and 80 injured, with more bodies still being recovered. The train, carrying 195 passengers, was on a planned high-speed rail route linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Rescue efforts were briefly halted due to chemical leakage at the site.

A construction crane fell onto a passenger train northeast of Bangkok, causing the train to derail and resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. The accident occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, approximately 230 kilometers (143 miles) northeast of the Thai capital, as the train was traveling from Bangkok to the northeast of the country.
Local authorities reported that at least 22 people were killed and 80 others injured in the incident, with additional bodies yet to be retrieved from the wreckage. Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stated that 195 people were on board the train at the time of the accident and confirmed that an official investigation into the incident has been ordered.
Thatchapon Chinnawong, the district’s police chief, later told the French news agency AFP that rescue operations had to be paused temporarily due to a chemical leakage at the site. The crane had been in use for the construction of a high-speed rail network when it collapsed around 9:00 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT).
The derailment took place on a section of a planned high-speed rail project that aims to eventually connect China with much of Southeast Asia, as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. According to the Nakhon Ratchasima Public Relations Department, the crane’s collapse caused the train to derail and catch fire, although the fire was later extinguished.
Live footage from the scene showed rescue workers rushing to aid passengers, with the brightly colored train lying on its side amid smoke and debris. Thai media reported that the train had three carriages, with the last two suffering the most severe damage.
A local resident recounted hearing a loud noise followed by two explosions, prompting him to rush outside. “When I went to see what had happened, I found the crane sitting on a passenger train with three carriages. The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half,” he said.
This incident comes less than six months after a railway tunnel along the same planned route in Nakhon Ratchasima collapsed in August 2024, killing three construction workers. The recent crane accident underscores ongoing safety concerns on the ambitious infrastructure project.