Italian-Thai is rushing to cut the "orange main touch" from late night until early morning to clear the way for full crane wreckage recovery. They revealed the operation is difficult and must be done with caution. Meanwhile, damaged rails are expected to be repaired today. Police have questioned more than 100 witnesses.
On 20 Jan 2026 GMT+7, reporters provided an update on the recovery of crane wreckage after a construction crane fell onto a train in Si Khio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. Italian-Thai officials had cut off one piece of the orange main touch crane since the previous night.
Today, Italian-Thai officials cut off the second orange main touch crane piece. Then, several heavy cranes weighing hundreds of tons slowly lifted the front and rear sections, safely lowering the main touch crane to the ground. Officers from Si Khio Police Station, Si Khio Municipality, and the State Railway of Thailand closely monitored the operation. The State Railway of Thailand deployed multiple teams to remove the damaged old rails and install new ones, using backhoes to prepare the area and aiming to complete rail repairs today.
Officials continue to work nonstop, currently cutting the last large remaining piece of the main touch crane, a crucial step before recovering the blue rolling crane base. The wreckage will be lowered and the site cleared to resume normal operations. The operation is challenging because the team must cut at height and work simultaneously in two teams on the left and right sides to safely cut parallel steel structures. Staff have been working hard day and night to expedite the recovery as quickly as possible.
Regarding the investigation, Pol. Col. Thatchaphon Chinwong, chief of Si Khio Police Station, and investigators have scheduled additional statements from State Railway of Thailand officials who were on the train, including the train driver, engineering staff, and railway police. They are being questioned in detail about train control procedures, braking, wheel locking, and actions taken during the incident. Reports state that about 100 witnesses have been interviewed so far, and investigators have compiled extensive case files in two large folders to support determining the cause and legal proceedings.