22 killed after a crane collapsed onto a running train in Thailand

A severe accident in Thailand, where a massive crane used for construction work collapsed onto a moving passenger train, has resulted in the deaths of 22 people. Foreign media reports that this tragic accident occurred around 9:05 AM on Wednesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, located approximately 230 kilometers northeast of Bangkok.

The crane fell onto the moving train from a railway bridge under construction, approximately 65 feet high. At the time of the accident, the train was traveling at a speed of about 120 kilometers per hour. Authorities have confirmed that approximately 195 passengers were on board, the majority of whom were schoolchildren. Hospital sources state that around 80 people were injured due to the accident, with several of them in serious condition.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the train driver had no opportunity to control the speed or apply the brakes due to the sudden collapse of the crane across the tracks. As the crane debris fell onto the train carriages, several carriages derailed, and a fire also broke out in the train immediately after the derailment. It is reported that the impact was so severe that the windows of the train carriages shattered, causing extensive damage to the train.

Immediately after the accident, rescue teams arrived at the scene and took steps to control the fire, and cutting equipment had to be used to free passengers trapped among the iron debris. Authorities state that approximately 12 bodies have been recovered so far, and a comprehensive investigation has been launched into whether proper safety measures were followed during the construction work. Eyewitnesses say they heard loud noises and explosions, and that a train carriage was split into two parts by the impact of the crane's iron components.