Latest news Construction crane crashes into train - at least 30 dead in Thailand
A passenger train is traveling at full speed in Thailand when disaster strikes: A massive steel construction crane suddenly comes crashing down.
14.01.2026, 06:43
14.01.2026, 13:13
SDA
The train with almost 200 people on board derails and one compartment catches fire. Rescue workers and authorities are now talking about at least 30 fatalities. However, the exact cause of the accident is still unclear hours later.
Several local media outlets initially reported that the crane fell onto the tracks a few seconds before the train arrived. The train then collided with the steel scaffolding with full force. By the afternoon, however, there were more and more reports that the crane had fallen directly onto the train. Dozens of passengers were injured, some of them seriously - between 55 and 80 according to various reports.
Many students and commuters
It is a sunny morning in many parts of Thailand, shortly after 9.00 am. The train is currently en route in the district of Sikhio in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima, around 230 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. Its destination is Ubon Ratchathani near the border with Laos and Cambodia. According to the state-owned operator (SRT), there are at least 195 people on board, including passengers and staff. According to the portal "Thaiger", the passengers were mainly students and commuters.
At the same time, construction work is underway on a railroad bridge for the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail link (HSL), which will connect Thailand with China via Laos in the future. The project is part of China's huge "New Silk Road" infrastructure initiative.
Just as the train is passing under the bridge at around 120 kilometers per hour, the crane suddenly falls. According to media reports, other heavy construction materials fell onto the wagons in the course of the accident. What exactly caused the disaster is still being investigated.
Terrible scenes at the scene of the accident
The scenes presented to the rescuers who rushed to the scene are shocking: a large part of the train is completely destroyed, the crushed carriages are lying on their sides, parts are in flames. Many passengers are trapped in the wreckage, especially in the second of the three carriages.
"Escape was difficult because the air-conditioned train had electric doors and windows that could not be opened manually," wrote the Bangkok Post newspaper. The teams are using hydraulic cutters and fire engines, among other things, to free the injured. Many are said to be in a critical condition.
Prime Minister calls for full investigation
As the recovery of the wreckage is very complicated, the important railroad line to the north-east of Thailand will remain blocked for an indefinite period of time, according to Anan Pothinimdaeng, Deputy Governor of the State Railway of Thailand. Numerous trains have to be rerouted.
Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called for a full investigation into the accident. "This project has encountered several problems. Last year a tunnel collapsed during construction, and this time a crane fell over," he said. "We need to investigate whether the construction work was carried out incorrectly." Such accidents could only happen if there was negligence or if the construction plans were not adhered to, he emphasized.
