Freight Train Collides With Bus in Bangkok, Killing at Least Eight

A freight train slammed into a public bus in central Bangkok on Saturday afternoon, killing at least eight people and injuring 25 others, emergency services said. m. local time on Asok-Din Daeng Road near an airport rail link station. Flames quickly engulfed the bus and spread to nearby vehicles after the train dragged the bus and several cars along the tracks.

Police and rescue officials said the crash sparked a fire that engulfed the public bus. Firefighters and rescue crews pulled injured victims from the wreckage while battling the blaze, which has since been brought under control. Crews are now cooling the area, venting gas and continuing to search for victims.

Thai media reported the freight train was traveling from Chachoengsao province to Bangkok’s Bang Sue district while the bus operated a route from the city’s eastern suburbs to the center.

Images from the scene showed dozens of emergency workers and onlookers crowding the streets as smoke billowed from the area. The surrounding district is a busy central part of Bangkok’s metropolis filled with local residents, pedestrians and traffic at that hour.

Motorcyclists and passersby attempted to redirect traffic as rescue operations unfolded. Twenty-five injured people were transported to hospitals after being pulled from the wreckage.

The accident is likely to raise questions about Thailand’s rail infrastructure. It follows a deadly incident in January when a construction crane fell on a passenger train northeast of Bangkok, killing at least 28 people and injuring 64 others. Thai authorities have not yet confirmed the exact death toll or released the cause of Saturday’s crash.

Officials said the bus appeared to have become stuck on the intersection with the rail line after safety barriers had descended.