A number of Thai media reported that on the morning of the 14th, a major accident occurred in the construction of a high-speed rail project in Khorat Province, Thailand. A crane fell during the construction process and hit a passenger train in motion, the carriage caught fire and derailed, killing nearly 100 people. The death toll had risen to 32 by 21:00 on Sunday. China’s embassy in Thailand confirmed on the 14th, no Chinese construction enterprises and construction workers involved in the incident. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
This is the scene of the accident on Jan. 14 in Nakhon Ratchat Province, Thailand (mobile phone photo) .
According to the“Bangkok Post” reported that the accident site is located about 230 km northeast of Bangkok, Korat Siqiu Prefecture Bantanonko (sound) . The train hit by the crane was carrying about 195 passengers and attendants at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The crane first landed on the second carriage, which contained 40 passengers, the report said. Train fire also occurred mainly in the second car, as the air-conditioned train for the automatic doors and windows, can not be opened by hand, so passengers difficult to escape.
The 37.45 km high-speed rail project at the site of the 3-4 bid section, the main contractor for Italy-thailand Development Public Limited, the project has reached 99.45% progress.
According to the Thai public television website reported that the incident bid by the Thai self-construction, the owner and regulatory body for the state railway of Thailand. Such a serious accident in such a closely monitored high-tech project raises questions about the safety standards and supervision of the State Railway of Thailand, the report said. Reported that the Thai police and the National Railway Administration engineers have investigated the scene to determine the real reason for the fall of the crane. At present, the Thai government has started the application process for compensation for casualties, and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. Prime Minister Anutin said“Those involved should be punished and held accountable”. He said“Such accidents can only happen because of negligence, skipping steps, deviating from the design or using the wrong materials”.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning, 14, said that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the project and personnel safety, is understanding the situation. At present, the relevant bid section is under construction by Thai companies, and the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
There have been similar accidents before, including one in July 2023 when a crane collapsed during construction of a viaduct in the Rajapaksa District, east of Bangkok, Thai newspaper the nation reported, and in November 2024, the Rama 2 viaduct project in Bangkok caused casualties.