A devastating train crash in Thailand's Ban Thanon Khot has left a trail of destruction and loss of life. The accident occurred when a construction crane, used to build an overhead railway project backed by China, collapsed onto a moving train.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "terrifying" with reports of widespread destruction and chaos. The impact was so severe that it caused one carriage to catch fire, further complicating rescue efforts. Emergency responders were forced to use cranes and hydraulic cutting tools to free passengers trapped in the wreckage.
"It looked like a spoon scooping into a slice of cake," said Pitchaya Promenade, who witnessed the accident. "I saw an elderly woman hanging upside down from a carriage... Another woman whose right arm appeared to be broken was holding onto her." One-year-old and 85-year-old were among those injured, with seven people in critical condition.
Resident Suphann Imchantrik helped rescue a one-year-old who was still breathing but barely. He also saw the dead lying on the ground, including other injured people, which left him "heartbroken."
The incident has raised questions about safety standards and regulations in Thailand's construction industry. Many have pointed to weak enforcement of safety measures as contributing factors to the tragedy.
"This is not a natural disaster," said Amorn Pimanmas, an engineering professor at Bangkok's Kasetsart University. "Human errors are more likely to be the cause."
The Italian-Thai Development Company, which was responsible for the construction project, has been sued by Thailand's State Railway of Thailand. The company's involvement in previous accidents, including a skyscraper collapse during an earthquake last March, has also raised concerns.
An investigation into the accident is ongoing, with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul calling for a thorough inquiry.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "terrifying" with reports of widespread destruction and chaos. The impact was so severe that it caused one carriage to catch fire, further complicating rescue efforts. Emergency responders were forced to use cranes and hydraulic cutting tools to free passengers trapped in the wreckage.
"It looked like a spoon scooping into a slice of cake," said Pitchaya Promenade, who witnessed the accident. "I saw an elderly woman hanging upside down from a carriage... Another woman whose right arm appeared to be broken was holding onto her." One-year-old and 85-year-old were among those injured, with seven people in critical condition.
Resident Suphann Imchantrik helped rescue a one-year-old who was still breathing but barely. He also saw the dead lying on the ground, including other injured people, which left him "heartbroken."
The incident has raised questions about safety standards and regulations in Thailand's construction industry. Many have pointed to weak enforcement of safety measures as contributing factors to the tragedy.
"This is not a natural disaster," said Amorn Pimanmas, an engineering professor at Bangkok's Kasetsart University. "Human errors are more likely to be the cause."
The Italian-Thai Development Company, which was responsible for the construction project, has been sued by Thailand's State Railway of Thailand. The company's involvement in previous accidents, including a skyscraper collapse during an earthquake last March, has also raised concerns.
An investigation into the accident is ongoing, with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul calling for a thorough inquiry.
this construction crane collapsing onto the train was just so random - how did it even happen? 
i feel so bad for all those people who got hurt or worse... 85 and one year old injured? that's like, what are the chances? 
and 7 people in critical condition?! my heart goes out to them 
what kind of investigation are they doing? and why did the company sue the railway? isn't it better for them to own up to their mistakes instead of blaming others?
this is just heartbreaking. So many innocent lives lost and injured... it's just not right 
. And to think about the poor old lady who was hanging upside down from the carriage... my heart goes out to her 
. The fact that it could've been prevented is what's really bothering me 
. We need to get to the bottom of this and make sure something like this never happens again 
.
i cant even imagine being there and seeing that many people hurt or worse... it's just not right. safety standards should be super strict, especially when it comes to big construction projects like that overhead railway 
. i feel for the families of those who lost their loved ones, and also for the kids who were injured 
. the fact that they have to sue the company responsible is just not fair 
. anyway, let's hope they get to the bottom of this and make sure something like this never happens again 
.
and whats with all these construction accidents in thailand tho? safety regulations are supposed to be enforced but clearly thats not the case rn anyway lets just hope they get to the bottom of this soon
The fact that the crane collapsed and ended up on top of a moving train is just mind-boggling. I mean, what were they thinking?! 
As a parent, you can't even begin to imagine how devastating this must be for the families of those affected.
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The fact that there have been other accidents involving this company before, like the skyscraper collapse during an earthquake... it's just a nightmare.
. And to the Thai government, I hope you get to the bottom of this investigation and hold people accountable 
. We need more accountability like now! 
. It seems like there are some major loopholes and weaknesses in the system, which allowed something like this to happen. And yeah, human errors can be pretty costly, unfortunately 
. I'm just glad that some people were able to rescue those injured passengers... but seven people are still in critical condition? That's just heartbreaking 
. Maybe we can learn from this tragedy and make some real changes to prevent something like this from happening again.
. I mean, weak safety standards and regulations are just not good enough 
. We need stricter enforcement ASAP 
, especially when it comes to projects that involve heavy machinery and high-speed transportation 
! And I'm totally with Amorn on this - human errors are usually the cause of these kinds of accidents 
. The fact that the company involved has a history of accidents is just disturbing 
.
and makes some real changes in Thailand's construction industry 
! #TrainCrashThailand #SafetyFirst #ConstructionMatters
. It's clear that something went terribly wrong with the construction process, maybe they didn't follow proper safety protocols or inspections weren't thorough enough? 
. It's also important for companies like the Italian-Thai Development Company to take responsibility for their actions and ensure they're not cutting corners on safety standards 
... the whole construction industry is like a ticking time bomb waiting to happen 
It's like, yeah, safety standards should be super strict and enforced, but what about the responsibility of the companies doing the building? Shouldn't they be held accountable too?
. What if those 7 injured people didn't make it? The emotional toll on eyewitnesses like Suphann Imchantrik must be unbearable 
. Thai authorities need to really dig into this accident to find out how it happened and make sure something like this never happens again 
. and the worst part is the construction crane that fell on the train was from china 
. gotta hope the investigation finds out what really went down tho 
It's like something from a horror movie 
The fact that it was construction work that caused the accident is just, like, wow... what were they thinking? 
. Thailand needs to step up its game and make sure these things don't happen again 
It's not just about lives lost, but also the trauma and pain that people are going through right now 
and now 7 people are in critical condition... what's going through the minds of those responsible? 