The identity verification center for the crane collapse on a train has closed after all 30 deceased bodies were handed over to families. Initial compensation for each deceased is reported at 1,773,000 baht.
At 11:30 a.m. on 18 Jan 2026 GMT+7, at the identity verification operations center for the crane collapse on the high-speed railway train in Sikhio District, Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, Mr. Anupong Suksamanit, Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima, together with Mr. Wijit Kitwirat, Deputy Governor, Police Major General Narongsak Promtha, Commander of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police, Police Major General Pitkhayan Jiranyaro, Commander of Forensic Center 3, Dr. Chayaphol Sukto, Deputy Provincial Public Health Doctor, Dr. Taweechai Wisanu-yothin, Director of Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, Mr. Rapee Chomnongpho, Railway Inspector 2 representing the State Railway of Thailand, and Mr. Krit Poonsakem, Head of Nakhon Ratchasima Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, jointly announced the closure of the identity verification operations center after completing identification and coordinating assistance to victims with significant progress.
Governor Anupong Suksamanit stated that the identification process for the deceased is complete, confirming identities and returning all 30 bodies to their families. The province prioritizes care for the injured and bereaved families, integrating efforts with all relevant agencies to expedite support for rights, compensation, and psychological recovery.
Regarding compensation from the accident, each deceased will initially receive 1,773,000 baht. The breakdown of aid sources is as follows: royal condolence fund 20,000 baht; State Railway of Thailand 340,000 baht; Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund 50,000 baht; insurance policy 1,000,000 baht; victim compensation act 200,000 baht; Rajaprajanugroh Foundation 10,000 baht; provincial Social Development and Human Security Office 3,000 baht; and Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited 150,000 baht.
Mr. Rapee Chomnongpho, Railway Inspector 2 representing the State Railway of Thailand, reported on repairs to railway tracks at the accident site. Coordination with the contractor is underway to dismantle the collapsed crane structure. The removal is expected to take no more than 7 days. Once the area is safe, railway officials will repair the damaged tracks within 6 hours, allowing normal train operations to resume.
The closure of the operations center marks the end of the primary mission of identity verification. However, relevant agencies will continue to monitor and support the families of the deceased and injured, including ongoing medical treatment.
At Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, families of the deceased from the incident have been arriving to complete documentation. The remaining six families have come to arrange paperwork to receive the bodies. Today, the hospital will hand over all 30 deceased bodies to their relatives.