At least 22 people were killed and around 80 others injured on Wednesday after a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province, triggering a derailment and fire along a section of a China-backed high-speed rail project, authorities said.
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Footage from the scene, verified by AFP, showed twisted metal resting against concrete pillars as smoke rose from the damaged carriages. Rescue teams were seen working through wreckage to pull survivors from the three-car train, which had been travelling northeast from Bangkok toward Ubon Ratchathani.
At least 22 people were killed and 55 others injured after a passenger train collided with a collapsed construction crane in northeastern Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province on Wednesday, local media reported. (social media footage) pic.twitter.com/l5s9eWLYrn
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) January 14, 2026
⚠️ Tragedy in Thailand
At least 22 killed, 55 injured after a passenger train hit a collapsed construction crane in Nakhon Ratchasima province (NE #Thailand) on Wednesday. Fire has been extinguished, rescue ops continue. Cause still under investigation.#Accident #BreakingNews 💔 pic.twitter.com/wlU4Gw8BtV— ⚔️ The British Frog 🐸 🏴 (@ThaiLegal123) January 14, 2026
District police chief Thatchapon Chinnawong confirmed the casualty toll and said officials had requested hospitals to identify those in critical condition. “A crane collapsed onto a train causing it to derail and catch fire,” the provincial public relations department added in a statement.
Local resident Mitr Intrpanya, 54, told reporters he heard a loud sliding sound followed by “two explosions” shortly before seeing the crane “sitting on a passenger train” and the second carriage “sliced in half.” Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said 195 people were on board and emergency services were working to identify the victims.
Authorities later paused rescue operations due to a reported chemical leak at the site, local officials said. The collapsed crane was part of a $5.4 billion infrastructure project backed by Beijing to connect Bangkok with China’s Yunnan province via Laos under the Belt and Road Initiative. The 600-kilometre line is due for completion in 2028, with Chinese-made trains expected to run at speeds of up to 250 km/h.
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Thailand has a long history of industrial and rail-related accidents, often attributed to weak safety oversight. In recent years, fatal collisions involving freight trains have underscored the risks facing travellers amid the country’s ageing rail network.