A collision between a freight train and a public bus in downtown Bangkok on Saturday killed at least eight people and injured 32, officials said.
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said preliminary investigations indicate the bus was stopped on the railway tracks at a red light, preventing crossing barriers from closing before the freight train struck. The heavy train was unable to brake in time to avoid the collision. Siripong added that all eight fatalities were passengers on the bus and that the exact number of people on board remained unclear.
The crash happened near the Airport Rail Link’s Makkasan Station in Ratchathewi district in the afternoon. Video shared on social media showed the train plowing into the orange bus, which caught fire within minutes and dragged several nearby cars and motorcycles along the tracks.
A motorcycle taxi driver who witnessed the accident, Wanthong Kokpho, said the bus and surrounding vehicles were blocked at a red light and could not move. ‘The fire broke out immediately,’ he told Reuters, adding that had the collision occurred on a normal working day the toll would likely have been much higher.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an investigation into the incident, according to a statement from his office.
Road accidents are a persistent problem in Thailand, where speeding, drunk driving and limited enforcement of safety rules contribute to high fatalities. The country has suffered other recent transport tragedies: in January, a construction crane fell onto a passenger train in northeastern Thailand, killing 32 people and injuring dozens.
Authorities are continuing on-site inspections and rescue operations while investigators work to determine the full circumstances that led to the deadly crash.