NAKHON RATCHASIMA — 14 January 2026, at least 32 people were killed and more than 40 others injured after a crane used in the construction of a high-speed rail bridge collapsed onto a passenger train, causing it to derail and catch fire, authorities said.
The accident occurred at about 09:05 in Ban Thanon Khot, Sikhio district, when a crane fell onto railway tracks as a passenger train travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani was passing through the area.
The train slammed into the fallen crane at high speed, producing a loud impact before parts of the structure collapsed onto the train, officials said. Several carriages derailed and a fire broke out, trapping passengers inside the wreckage.
Rescue teams recovered at least three bodies from the train wreckage at the scene, with more deaths later confirmed. More than 40 passengers were injured, some seriously.
Emergency responders from several rescue foundations rushed to the scene, using cutting and spreading equipment to free trapped passengers. The injured were taken to Sikhio Hospital, Sung Noen Hospital and Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.
Preliminary investigations indicate the crane was operating as part of a high-speed rail bridge construction project when it fell across the tracks moments before the train arrived. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the collapse.
Officials are still working to identify at least one body at the site.