A crane at a China-backed high-speed rail project in Thailand collapsed onto and derailed a passenger train, killing at least 32 people and injuring scores, local authorities said.
Footage from the scene showed the crane’s broken structure resting on giant concrete pillars, with smoke rising from the wreckage of the train below.
Rescuers worked to extract passengers from the tilted carriages in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast of the capital Bangkok.
“At around 9am, I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions,” said local resident Mitr Intrpanya, 54.
“When I went to see what had happened, I found the crane sitting on a passenger train with three carriages. The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half,” said Mitr.
The Thai health ministry said 32 people were killed, three were missing and 64 were hospitalised including seven in serious condition.
The accident happened at a construction site that is part of a US$5.4bil (RM21.8bil) project backed by Beijing to build a high-speed rail network in Thailand.
It aims to connect Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos by 2028 as part of China’s vast Belt and Road infrastructure plan.
“A crane collapsed onto a train causing it to derail and catch fire,” the Nakhon Ratchasima provincial public relations department said in a statement.
Live footage aired by local media showed rescue workers rushing to the scene, with a brightly coloured train derailed on its side as smoke billowed from the debris.
Authorities were pausing the rescue operation due to “chemical leakage” at the scene.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said 195 people were on board the train and authorities were rushing to identify the deceased.
He ordered officials to determine the cause of the accident, according to a statement. — AFP
