In Thailand, a construction crane fell on a train: dozens of dead and injured – photos

In Thailand, a construction crane crashed into a passenger train, killing 22 people and injuring 79 others, according to reports Bangkok Post and BBC with reference to police data.

The incident occurred in Nakhon Ratchasima province in the northeast of the country at 09:05 am (04:05 Kyiv time), about 230 kilometers from Bangkok, at the Ban Thanon Kod railway section. The Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani train collided with a construction crane, which collapsed on the tracks.

According to preliminary reports, the crane was used to build a bridge as part of a Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project. After the collision, the train derailed, and construction materials fell onto the cars. According to an eyewitness, the train car was "cut in half."

The collision caused a fire. Rescuers used hydraulic cutters to free the passengers from the wreckage.

There were 195 passengers and staff on the train. Eight of the injured were seriously injured. The youngest injured child was one year old, and the oldest person was 59 years old.

Most of the wounded sustained minor injuries and are under medical supervision. Eight wounded sustained serious injuries.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn instructed the State Railways of Thailand to investigate the cause of the crane collapse.

The construction of the bridge is part of the first section of the US$5.4 billion Thai-Chinese Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima high-speed rail project, which has been underway since 2017.

Construction fatalities are not uncommon in Thailand due to the low level of compliance with safety standards and regulations. In particular, a project to expand roads from Bangkok to the south of the country has led to the deaths of about 150 people over the past seven years.

• on December 26, it was reported that at least 13 people in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, were killed died as a result of the derailment of an inter-oceanic train carrying 250 people.