At Least 31 Dead, Dozens More Injured After Construction Crane Collapses onto Moving Passenger Train

At least 31 people have died and dozens more were hurt after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in Thailand.

The crash happened on Wednesday, Jan. 14 in Ban Thanon Khot in Nakhon Ratchasima province, north of Bangkok, shortly after the train departed Nong Nam Khun station, the BBC reported. The train had left Bangkok and was traveling toward Ubon Ratchathani province.

Thatchapon Chinnawong, a police superintendent in Nakhon Ratchasima, said the incident occurred around 9 a.m. local time while construction work on an express rail line was underway.

“The construction crane collapsed onto a running train leaving from Bangkok,” he said, according to the BBC. The BBC noted the crane was operating as part of a rail project linking Thailand and China.

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) said in a translated Facebook post that at least 31 people died and 64 were injured, including seven who were seriously hurt. Thirty people died at the scene, while one died during transfer.

There were 195 people on board at the time, according to a translated post from the Public Relations Team of the State Railway of Thailand’s Facebook page.

The train was carrying mostly students and workers traveling to schools and workplaces in other districts, BBC Thai reported.

All passengers have since been evacuated from the area, the BBC said, citing the health ministry. The outlet added that among those seriously injured were a 1-year-old and an 85-year-old, citing a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health.

A local resident, Mitr Intrpanya, 54, who was at the scene, described hearing a loud sound followed by two blasts, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“At around 9 a.m., I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions,” he said, per AFP.

“When I went to see what had happened, I found the crane sitting on a passenger train with three carriages,” he added, according to the outlet. He said the crane’s metal appeared to hit the middle of the second carriage and cut it in half.

Thailand’s transport minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, offered condolences to families who lost loved ones and expressed concern for the injured and others affected, according to the State Railway of Thailand’s public-relations Facebook post.

Thirasak Wongsoongnern, a staff member on the train, told local outlet Thairath Online that the train was traveling at around 74 mph when the crane fell, the BBC reported. He said he and other passengers were thrown into the air after the collapse.

Authorities are investigating what caused the incident. The BBC reported it follows a series of other deadly accidents that have been blamed on safety lapses.

A spokesperson for the State Railway of Thailand and the Ministry of Public Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.