Bangkok: At least eight people were killed and 32 others injured on Saturday after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok, triggering a massive fire that engulfed the vehicle and nearby traffic, Thai officials said.
The deadly crash occurred near the Airport Rail Link’s Makkasan station when a container freight train struck the bus as it remained trapped on the railway tracks.
According to Thailand’s Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat, preliminary investigations showed the bus had stopped on the tracks at a red traffic signal, preventing railway crossing barriers from closing properly.
“The train transporting containers could not stop in time and collided with the bus,” Siripong told reporters.
Authorities confirmed that all eight fatalities were passengers aboard the bus, while 32 injured victims were shifted to multiple hospitals for treatment.
Emergency response teams, firefighters, and rescue workers rushed to the scene after flames rapidly spread through the bus and several nearby vehicles, including cars and motorcycles caught in the collision.
Videos circulating on social media showed the freight train ploughing into the bus and dragging nearby vehicles along the tracks before a fire erupted.
Eyewitness Wanthong Kokpho, a motorcycle taxi driver present at the scene, said traffic congestion left vehicles unable to move away from the crossing.
“The bus was stuck at a red light, so it couldn’t move. Cars were also blocked and unable to move forward,” he told Reuters.
“The fire broke out immediately. If this had been a normal working day, the damage would have been much worse,” he added.
Rescue officials said teams worked for hours to pull injured victims from the wreckage while firefighters used water hoses to control the blaze and prevent further explosions or fire spread.
Authorities later confirmed the fire had been brought under control, while rescue crews continued cooling operations, gas ventilation procedures, and searches for additional victims.
Thai authorities have launched a formal investigation into the cause of the crash and whether railway crossing safety protocols were properly followed.
Thailand has long faced criticism over road and transport safety standards. According to the World Health Organization, the country ranks among the world’s deadliest for road accidents due to weak enforcement of traffic and safety regulations.