Crane falls onto tracks, causing deadly train crash in Nakhon Ratchasima, 40+ injured
A high-speed train collides with a fallen crane in Nakhon Ratchasima, leaving over 40 injured and three confirmed dead.
- A large construction crane, part of a high-speed railway project, collapsed onto train tracks in Nakhon Ratchasima.
- A passenger train traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani then collided with the fallen crane, causing a major derailment.
- The crash resulted in three passenger deaths and left more than 40 people injured.
A devastating accident occurred on Wednesday (January 14), when a large construction crane, used for railway track installation, collapsed onto a moving train in Sikhio, Nakhon Ratchasima.
The incident left more than 20 people injured, with several passengers trapped inside the train carriages.
At the scene, emergency responders were shocked to find the massive steel crane fallen across the train carriages, causing the roof to collapse.
The impact shattered the windows, and the train's metal structure was severely bent.
Rescue teams worked urgently to "cut and extricate" the injured passengers and transport them to nearby hospitals.
Local medical and volunteer rescue teams from Nakhon Ratchasima are coordinating the efforts, using heavy equipment to remove trapped passengers from the wreckage.
Due to the overlap of the crane and the train's structure, the operation has been difficult.
At 9.30am, Special Express Train No. 21, a diesel railcar service departing Krung Thep Aphiwat Station for Ubon Ratchathani, was hit when a crane lifting a large concrete segment for the high-speed rail project dropped the load onto the train.
The incident occurred at railway kilometre marker 220, Ban Thanon Kot village (Moo 11), Sikhio subdistrict, Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima.
Four diesel railcar coaches derailed, and a fire broke out.
Coaches 1 and 2 were struck by the large concrete segment, sustaining the most severe damage.
Coach 3 was also heavily damaged after a steel structure collapsed into the middle of the carriage, and a fire was reported.
Coach 4 became detached from the train.
Initial reports said 22 bodies had been found, with more than 50 people injured.
Multiple agencies responded to assist, including Sikhio district officials, the State Railway of Thailand, rescue and medical teams, local subdistrict administrative organisations, the Phrommatham Rescue Foundation in Sikhio, and other local agencies, which transported the injured to the hospital.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
