A crane collapsed onto a train, killing at least 25 passengers and injuring dozens more in Thailand this morning.
The locomotive was taking hundreds of locals and tourists from the capital, Bangkok, to Nakhon Ratchasima province when the construction equipment plunged onto the tracks.
Passengers screamed as the vehicle smashed into the metal, and more debris landed on the carriages.
Several of the cars were derailed in the crash at around 9am local time in the Ban Thanon Khot district of Nakhon Ratchasima.
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene, where they treated injured passengers. Many were trapped inside the mangled carriages.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health said that among the eight severely injured were a one-year-old girl and an 85-year-old. There are said to be at least 64 people with injuries following the crane collapse.
Police superintendent Thatchapon Chinnawong said earlier this morning: ‘The construction crane collapsed onto a running train leaving from Bangkok.
‘At this stage, we are still unable to confirm the identities of the deceased, but the injured victims trapped inside the train have all been evacuated.
Smoke billowing from the wreckage of a passenger train after a construction crane collapsed onto it in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, 14 January 2026
At least 25 people were killed and more than 79 others injured when the crane fell on the Special Express No. 21 train traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani, according to local police
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed there were 195 passengers and staff on board the train at the time of the accident
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene, where they treated injured passengers. Many were trapped inside the mangled carriages
‘The death toll currently stands at 22, with more than 50 people injured. Rescue teams are now working urgently to recover the wreckage.’
Dao Boonpanya, 70, a survivor who clambered from the wreckage, said: ‘While the train was travelling, I was asleep and I suddenly heard a loud crash as a crane fell onto the roof of the train, then the locomotive dragged the crane along, causing the carriage to be torn off the tracks.’
A railway construction worker added: ‘The crane being used for the high-speed rail project suddenly broke and fell down.
‘At that exact moment, the train involved in the accident was passing through the area, then the second and third carriages became entangled with the crane, causing the train to derail.’
Officials said the crane was being used in the construction of a concrete platform for a new £4billion high-speed train project that would connect Bangkok to Kunming in China.
At a daily press briefing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety of projects and personnel, adding that according to its current understanding, the section involved was being constructed by a Thai company.
Thailand’s transport minister has now ordered an investigation into the incident.
Police said the service involved was the Special Express Train Number 21 (Bangkok–Ubon Ratchathani), which had left the capital a few hours earlier.
Several of the cars were derailed in the crash at around 9 am local time in the Ban Thanon Khot district of Nakhon Ratchasima
Victims were taken to the Sikhio Hospital, Sung Noen Hospital, and Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.
Following the incident, the State Railway of Thailand has made changes to more than a dozen train services.
Two train services have been cancelled, while 12 train services will have their routes changed.
Passengers who have purchased tickets for the affected routes are entitled to a full refund, the state-owned railway operator said in a statement.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
