A construction crane crashed onto a passenger train in Thailand on Wednesday morning, January 14, 2026, killing at least 32 people and injuring at least 66 others as the train traveled from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province. The collision occurred around 9:10 a.m. local time when the massive structure fell onto the moving train in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, approximately 230 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, causing carriages to derail and catch fire.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that 195 passengers were on board when the accident occurred. The three-carriage train was traveling at about 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour when it was struck. At least 66 people were injured in the accident, eight of them critically, according to the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Public Health Office.
Local resident Mitr Intrpanya, 54, witnessed the catastrophic moment from nearby. “At around 9 a.m., I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions,” he told reporters. “The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half.”
Local residents rushed to help rescue people from the second carriage, which was split in half. Train staff member Thirasak Wongsungnoen said he rushed to assist injured passengers, but the fire had spread, blocking access to the second carriage. One eyewitness described concrete fragments falling before the crane collapsed completely.
Rescue operations were temporarily paused due to chemical leakage at the scene, though authorities later confirmed the fire had been extinguished. Three passengers remained missing among those believed to have been on board the train, according to evening updates. Transport authorities are working to identify all victims.
Among the victims was a German tourist traveling with his wife to her hometown in Surin province. Survivor Taew Eimertenbrink, 63, told reporters from her hospital bed that her German husband “was killed instantly” in the derailment. The couple had chosen train travel for their journey from Germany.
Italian-Thai Development PCL, the Thai company operating the crane and one of the largest construction firms in the country, issued a statement expressing deepest condolences and asserting its responsibility to provide support and compensation to victims and their families. Anan Phonimdaeng, the acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, said the contractor for the project is Italian-Thai Development, while a Chinese firm is in charge of design work and construction oversight. He noted that officials will review the responsibilities of both groups, and the Railway Department intends to initiate legal action against the contractor as an initial measure.
The company has been involved in several deadly accidents at its sites in recent years. The company was the co-lead contractor for the State Audit Building in Bangkok, which collapsed during construction in March 2025 during an earthquake in neighboring Myanmar. About 92 people were killed in that collapse, which was the only major structure in Thailand to suffer such serious damage. Dozens of executives were indicted in connection with the disaster, but none have yet been tried.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that the Comptroller General’s Department and Transport Ministry are responsible for blacklisting contractors, calling for law changes to blacklist repeat offender companies. The state rail operator ordered Italian-Thai to halt construction activities, and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn ordered an investigation. A fact-finding committee will be set up within 15 days to investigate the collapse circumstances.
The crane was part of a two-stage rail project with a total investment cost of more than 520 billion baht ($16.8 billion), designed to construct a high-speed railway network across Thailand. The project aims to connect Bangkok to the northeastern province of Nong Khai, bordering Laos, and is associated with Beijing’s plan to connect China and Southeast Asia under the Belt and Road Initiative. The network is planned to facilitate travel and commerce between Southeast Asia and China.
This represents a significant infrastructure investment for Thailand. The initial segment running from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima is projected to cost 179 billion Thai baht, while the next stretch from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai will cover 357 kilometers with an estimated budget of 341 billion baht. When the project is finished, the rail line will link with routes in Laos, creating a connection to Kunming, China by 2030.
This is not the first deadly incident associated with the high-speed rail construction project. In August 2024, a railway tunnel on the planned route, also in Nakhon Ratchasima province, collapsed and killed three workers. Days of heavy rainfall were believed to have contributed to that tunnel collapse. The project has faced multiple delays and safety concerns throughout its construction phase.
The Railway Department plans to take legal action against the contractor as a first step. Damage to the train was estimated at over 100 million baht ($3.2 million), while construction machinery sustained only minor harm. Live broadcasts on local media throughout the day showed rescue crews standing atop overturned rail cars, some of which had large holes ripped into their sides, as paramedics treated injured passengers on site.