At least 22 people have died and around 80 others sustained injuries after a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in northeast Thailand.
The tragic accident occurred on Wednesday in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, located 230 km (143 miles) northeast of Bangkok.
The train was en route from the Thai capital to Ubon Ratchathani province.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that 195 passengers were aboard and said he had ordered a full investigation into the incident.
He added that the fatalities were concentrated in two of the three carriages struck by the crane.
Reporting from Bangkok, Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng said the train was travelling beneath a construction site for a high-speed rail line when the crane collapsed.
“The train then was derailed when it hit that crane, and there was a brief fire that ensued,” Cheng said.
He added, “Initial reports said there were only four fatalities. That very quickly jumped to 12, and we now understand from the Thai police who told Al Jazeera that it’s 22 and at this stage they are expecting it to climb.”
Police confirmed that the fire has been extinguished and rescue operations are ongoing.
Local resident Mitr Intrpanya, 54, witnessed the incident.
“At around 9am, I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions,” Mitr told AFP.
“When I went to see what had happened, I found the crane sitting on a passenger train with three carriages. The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half,” he said.
Cheng noted that the route affected is “very commonly used,” connecting heavily populated areas of northeast Thailand.
“This route has been the site of a high-speed Chinese rail project, which has been under construction for quite some time now – about a decade,” he said.
He added: “It is supposed to be bringing a high-speed rail, which is on a concrete platform above the existing rail line. Pictures that we have seen of the scene seem to show the crane which was working up there has fallen from these big concrete columns.”
