At least 32 people were killed when a crane collapsed onto a passenger train, causing it to derail, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, east of Bangkok. The accident occurred at a construction site part of a $5.4 billion project backed by Beijing to build a high-speed rail network from Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as one of utter chaos, with debris scattered everywhere and smoke billowing from the wreckage of the train. Rescue workers were seen attempting to extract passengers from the tilted carriages, but their efforts were temporarily halted due to "chemical leakage" at the site.
The crane's broken structure was found resting on giant concrete pillars, while footage showed rescue workers in bright yellow suits trying to stabilize the area. The investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing, with officials vowing to hold anyone responsible accountable.
Thailand has one of the most extensive railway networks in Southeast Asia, but the state of the tracks and maintenance records have been criticized for being woefully inadequate, leading many locals to prefer road travel instead. This accident highlights the dangers that workers face on construction sites and the need for stricter safety regulations.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has called for an overhaul of the country's construction laws, stating that "incidents like this happen very regularly" and urging authorities to take action against companies responsible for repeated accidents.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as one of utter chaos, with debris scattered everywhere and smoke billowing from the wreckage of the train. Rescue workers were seen attempting to extract passengers from the tilted carriages, but their efforts were temporarily halted due to "chemical leakage" at the site.
The crane's broken structure was found resting on giant concrete pillars, while footage showed rescue workers in bright yellow suits trying to stabilize the area. The investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing, with officials vowing to hold anyone responsible accountable.
Thailand has one of the most extensive railway networks in Southeast Asia, but the state of the tracks and maintenance records have been criticized for being woefully inadequate, leading many locals to prefer road travel instead. This accident highlights the dangers that workers face on construction sites and the need for stricter safety regulations.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has called for an overhaul of the country's construction laws, stating that "incidents like this happen very regularly" and urging authorities to take action against companies responsible for repeated accidents.
this is a total nightmare come true. how many times do we need to see these construction sites be a death trap before someone gets serious about safety protocols? those $5.4 billion dollars from Beijing could've gone towards better infrastructure, but no... instead it's just another tragic accident waiting to happen. 
and now the PM wants to overhaul laws... when was the last time that actually led to meaningful change? 
33 people lost their lives, 32 innocent victims who didn't deserve to die in such a horrific accident. It's heartbreaking. The fact that the construction site had major red flags - inadequate maintenance records and poor track conditions - just shows how easily these kinds of accidents can happen if we're not careful.
It's not just an accident, is it? 
Those workers were just trying to make a living and get the job done, but noooo, they got caught in the crossfire of some big players with a lot to lose. 
And now we've got all these "chemical leaks" and whatnot... sounds like a cover-up to me 
. I mean, our PM is calling for stricter safety regulations, but don't believe everything he says... 
There's gotta be more to it than that. 
just heard about this train accident in Thailand and it's absolutely devastating 
I don't know what's more shocking, the fact that a crane collapsed onto a passenger train or that it happened on a construction site for a $5.4 billion project 
safety regulations are already lax in Thailand but this is ridiculous 
can you imagine being on that train and not knowing when disaster would strike? 
.
. We need better maintenance records and stricter enforcement on construction sites... not just lip service from PM Anutin 
.
. Time to take action and make some real changes, not just empty promises 
.
Like, I'm all for infrastructure development and all that jazz, but come on guys, can't you do better than a $5.4 billion project with more red tape than a bureaucratic nightmare? 
Anyways, I hope those poor workers who lost their lives were properly compensated and that the company responsible is held accountable. It's not like we haven't seen this before 
.
It's not like this was an isolated incident, either - we've been hearing about these types of accidents happening in Thailand for ages 
. The PM is right on the money with calling for stricter safety regulations 
and overhauling construction laws 
. We need to get our act together, pronto! 
This is such a devastating accident... my heart goes out to all those families who lost loved ones 
.
a crane collapse kills 32 people & derails a train on a multibillion dollar project 
we gotta step up our game 
especially when u consider thai railway system is pretty old & neglected 
, but we gotta stop demonizing the companies too. It's not like they're trying to sabotage our infrastructure on purpose 
. Maybe it's time we shift some of the blame to the bureaucrats who are supposed to be overseeing these projects 
. Anyway, RIP to those 32 souls 
. The construction project has been plagued by safety issues for years, it's shocking that this wasn't prevented sooner 
. Let's hope they take this seriously and make some real changes to prevent future tragedies