At least 32 people were killed and dozens more injured on Wednesday when a massive construction crane from a high-speed rail project collapsed onto a moving passenger train in northeastern Thailand. The disaster occurred in Nakhon Ratchasima province, where the heavy machinery, part of a China-backed infrastructure initiative, crashed down onto the tracks, slicing through a carriage and causing the train to derail and catch fire.
Okay News reports that the train was traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani with 195 people on board when the incident happened. Witnesses described a horrific scene where the metal structure of the crane struck the middle of the second carriage, effectively cutting it in half before explosions were heard. Rescue teams, initially hampered by a chemical leak at the site, have confirmed 32 fatalities, while 64 people remain hospitalized—seven in serious condition—and three others are still missing.
The accident has drawn sharp scrutiny toward Italian-Thai Development, the construction firm contracted for this section of the $5 billion railway project. Engineering consultant Theerachote Rujiviphat stated unequivocally that the company was “solely responsible” for the collapse. This tragedy adds to a growing list of safety failures linked to the firm, which was already indicted last August in connection with a Bangkok high-rise collapse that killed approximately 90 people.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed frustration over the recurring incidents involving the contractor, calling for legal reforms to blacklist construction companies with poor safety records. Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry offered condolences but was quick to clarify that the specific section of the Belt and Road project where the accident occurred was being constructed by a Thai company, not a Chinese state entity.
