A crane collapse at a China-backed high-speed rail site in Thailand derails a passenger train, killing at least 32 people and injuring dozens more
NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A crane at a China-backed high-speed rail project collapsed onto a passenger train, causing a derailment that killed at least 32 people.
The accident occurred on Wednesday in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast of Bangkok. Thai authorities confirmed 32 fatalities, with three people missing and 64 hospitalised, seven in serious condition.
The massive crane was left resting on giant concrete pillars as rescuers searched mangled carriages. Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said 195 people were on board the train travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani.
Italian-Thai Development, the contractor for the rail section, expressed condolences and pledged to compensate victims. The company is one of Thailand’s largest construction firms and has been involved in several past deadly accidents.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, visiting the site, said the incident was “clearly the fault of the construction company”. He called for legal changes to blacklist firms repeatedly responsible for accidents.
Survivor Taew Eimertenbrink, 63, said her German husband “was killed instantly”. “I thought travel by train was the best way, but… this happened,” she told reporters from a hospital bed.
Witness Mitr Intrpanya described hearing two loud explosions. “The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half,” the 54-year-old told AFP.
The accident happened at part of a more than USD 5 billion project to build a high-speed rail network backed by China. It aims to connect Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos by 2028 as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative.
Engineering consultant Theerachote Rujiviphat said Italian-Thai Development was solely responsible for the crane collapse. Transport Minister Phiphat later stated all parties involved, including the Chinese consultancy, would be held accountable.
Thailand’s state rail operator ordered Italian-Thai to halt construction and will form a fact-finding committee. It vowed to “prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law”.
Italian-Thai and its director were indicted last year over a Bangkok high-rise collapse that killed around 90 people. The firm was also involved in a fatal crane collapse at a highway site in March and another in Bangkok in 2017.
China’s foreign ministry expressed condolences, stating Beijing “attaches great importance to the safety of this project and its personnel”. The project uses Chinese technology, with Thailand covering all expenditures under a 2020 deal.
