Residents in Thailand's Ban Thanon Khot are accustomed to the rumbling of trains – rail is a key mode of transportation connecting the remote town with major cities. But on Wednesday, the mundane rhythm ended in tragedy. The noise was abnormally loud. A huge, crashing sound, said school volunteer Pitchaya Promenade. I saw a blue crane sliding. It seemed stuck for a moment, and suddenly it flipped over. The construction crane had collapsed onto a moving train, killing at least 32 people and injuring 66 others. Most were students and workers traveling for school and work. Thailand's Public Health Ministry reported three people missing from the accident.
Rescuers were still pulling bodies from the mangled train when the BBC arrived at the scene in the evening. Parts of it were heavily damaged. If I had to describe the damage visually, it looked like a spoon scooping into a slice of cake, Pitchaya, 32, who was trained in first aid, recalled. There was an elderly woman hanging upside down from a carriage... Another woman, whose right arm appeared to be broken, was holding onto her.
The collision caused one of the train carriages to catch fire, complicating rescue efforts further. Emergency responders used cranes and hydraulic tools to free trapped passengers. Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moments, with screams for help amidst rising smoke and the spilling of oil from the train. I'm still scared when I think about it... It was terrifying, said Penporn Pumjantuek, a local restaurant owner.
Authorities reported that injuries ranged from a one-year-old to an 85-year-old. The involved crane was part of a $5.4 billion project to connect Bangkok with southwestern China via Laos. Concerns over safety standards in Thailand's construction sector have been raised, particularly in light of this tragic event and previous incidents involving the same construction company.
Rescuers were still pulling bodies from the mangled train when the BBC arrived at the scene in the evening. Parts of it were heavily damaged. If I had to describe the damage visually, it looked like a spoon scooping into a slice of cake, Pitchaya, 32, who was trained in first aid, recalled. There was an elderly woman hanging upside down from a carriage... Another woman, whose right arm appeared to be broken, was holding onto her.
The collision caused one of the train carriages to catch fire, complicating rescue efforts further. Emergency responders used cranes and hydraulic tools to free trapped passengers. Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moments, with screams for help amidst rising smoke and the spilling of oil from the train. I'm still scared when I think about it... It was terrifying, said Penporn Pumjantuek, a local restaurant owner.
Authorities reported that injuries ranged from a one-year-old to an 85-year-old. The involved crane was part of a $5.4 billion project to connect Bangkok with southwestern China via Laos. Concerns over safety standards in Thailand's construction sector have been raised, particularly in light of this tragic event and previous incidents involving the same construction company.
