A crane falls on a moving train in Thailand, killing at least 29 in the fiery crash

Bangkok – A construction crane fell onto a moving train, sparking a fire that killed at least 22 people in northeastern Thailand on Wednesday, authorities said. Another 64 people were injured and the rescuers were still searching the debris and providing first aid.

The derailment occurred on part of a planned high-speed rail project that will eventually connect China to much of Southeast Asia.

A crane, which was used to build an elevated section of the railway line, collapsed while the train was traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province, according to the public relations office of Nakhon Ratchasima province, where the accident occurred 143 kilometers northeast of Bangkok.

Pictures published in Thai media showed white metal, then black smoke above the scene and construction materials hanging between two concrete support pillars.

Rescuers were standing on top of overturned railway carriages, some with holes torn from the sides, said a video by public broadcaster ThaiPBS. What appeared to be parts of a crane were scattered along the track.

Thai media reported that the train had three carriages, the last two of which were the most heavily damaged.

Transport Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakan said 195 people were on board the train. He said he ordered an investigation.

Local resident Mitr Intrpanya, 54, told French news agency AFP that he “heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions. When I went to see what had happened, I found a crane sitting on a train with three carriages. The bell from the crane seemed to hit the middle of the second carriage, cutting.”

The collapsed high-rise is part of the Thai-China high-speed rail project that connects Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, to the northeastern province of Nong Khai, on the Laos border. The two-phase railway project has a total cost of more than ¥520 billion ($16.8 billion) and is linked to an ambitious plan to connect China and Southeast Asia under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.

In August 2024, a railway tunnel on the planned route, also in Nakhon Ratchasima, collapsed, killing three workers. Days of heavy rain are believed to be the cause of the collapse.