Passengers described the moment when a high-speed rail construction crane snapped and fell onto the train carriage roof, before the locomotive pulled the crane cable, causing it to break loose and derail, igniting a fire that resulted in three deaths.
On 14 Jan 2026 GMT+7, reporters updated on a crane accident at a high-speed rail construction site where the crane collapsed onto a train traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani near Ban Thanon Kot, Sikhio Subdistrict, Sikhio District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The incident has so far resulted in three deaths and over 30 injuries.
Ms. Dao, a passenger on the ill-fated train, said she was traveling from Don Mueang to Sisaket. The train had three carriages. She was sleeping when she heard the sound of the crane falling onto the train roof, then the locomotive pulled the crane cable, causing a carriage to derail and be thrown off the tracks.
A construction worker reported that the crane used for the high-speed rail construction snapped and fell just as the train was passing. This caused the second and third carriages to catch the crane, leading to the derailment and a subsequent fire.
Rescue teams rushed to assist survivors trapped in the wreckage of the train. They have safely evacuated a child and are rushing the injured to hospitals for treatment.
Meanwhile, the State Railway of Thailand has temporarily suspended train operations on the affected route to recover the crane wreckage and inspect structural safety. Investigators plan to summon engineers and construction supervisors for questioning to determine whether negligence or equipment failure involving slings and machinery caused the major accident.