BANGKOK: Authorities in Thailand have reported 32 dead, 64 injured, and three missing after a crane collapse onto a passenger train in Si Khiew, Nakhon Ratchasima.
The Nakhon Ratchasima Public Health Office issued the latest update on the crane collapse that fell onto a high-speed train in Si Khiew, Nakhon Ratchasima, on Wednesday (Jan 14).
The incident, involving a construction crane from the high-speed rail project that collapsed onto the special express train No. 21 (Krung Thep Aphiwat–Ubon Ratchathani), has resulted in significant casualties.
As of 5.20pm, the current toll stands as follows:
Deaths: 32
Severe injuries: 7
Moderate injuries: 19
Minor injuries: 38
Missing persons: 3
Total affected: 99
The injured are receiving proper medical care, and the authorities are in the process of identifying the deceased.
Separately, Reuters highlighted that the crane collapse incident onto a moving train as the latest in a series of construction accidents in recent years.
Here are some other fatal incidents involving construction in Thailand:
March 28, 2025 - A partially built 30-storey tower in the capital Bangkok collapsed during a 7.7 magnitude quake that struck central Myanmar, killing at least 89 people.
The construction was being carried out by a joint venture including Italian Thai Development PCL, a major construction company which was also involved in building the rail link in Wednesday's crane accident.
The president of ITD was charged in August along with 21 other suspects for breaching construction regulations and causing death through negligence. The case is still pending and he denied the charges when arrested.
March 15, 2025 - At least five people were killed and 27 injured after an under-construction bridge on the Rama III-Dao Khanong Expressway Project collapsed in Bangkok. The highway project also involved ITD in a joint venture.
Authorities launched an investigation and the contractors promised compensation to the victims. The incident prompted the national government to roll out a "contractor report card" system in August, to boost oversight of companies working on public infrastructure projects.
August 24, 2024 - Three workers, two Chinese nationals and one from Myanmar, were killed when a tunnel collapsed in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeastern Thailand that is part of the same railway project where Wednesday's incident took place. The collapse occurred during heavy rain in the region.
November 29, 2024 - Four Myanmar and two Thai workers were killed in Samut Sakhon province, south of the capital Bangkok, in an accident at a construction site of an elevated motorway. Six people were also injured in the incident when a concrete segment and crane collapsed during construction of the highway.
March 29, 2024 - Seven people were killed and several injured, including one who lost a limb, after a crane collapsed at a construction site of a Chinese-run steel factory in Rayong province in eastern Thailand. - The Nation, Reuters
