Thailand train accident: At least 32 dead after crane falls on passing train

At least 32 people were killed, and 66 were injured after a construction crane collapsed onto a passing train in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand, on Wednesday, causing the train to derail and catch fire.

The train, travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani, was carrying 195 passengers when the accident occurred. Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has ordered a full investigation into the incident.

The crane was part of a high-speed rail project and fell onto two of the train’s carriages. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul directed the State Railway of Thailand to provide fair compensation to the families of the victims and said legal action would follow.

The Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD), contracted to build the rail segment, expressed regret over the accident and pledged relief and compensation for the affected families. ITD has previously been linked to a 2025 building collapse in Bangkok that killed 89 people.

Images from the scene showed overturned carriages, smoke rising from a fire, and rescue workers extracting passengers. Some of the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.

The crane was part of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima segment of a high-speed rail project that will eventually connect Bangkok to Kunming, China, via Laos. Debris from the crane remains suspended above the tracks.

Recovery operations continued into the evening, with authorities warning that delays on this major rail route could affect the regional economy. China’s Foreign Ministry said it is monitoring the situation, emphasising the safety of projects and personnel in Thailand.

The Thai government expects the full Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed rail line to be completed by 2030, with more than a third of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima segment already finished