At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
Emergency crews and firefighters rushed to the scene near Makkasan station, close to the Airport Rail Link, where flames engulfed the bus and several nearby vehicles, including cars and motorcycles.
Thai Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said preliminary findings suggested the bus had become stuck on the tracks while waiting at a red light, preventing the crossing barriers from lowering.
“The train was unable to stop in time,” he told reporters, adding that all eight people killed had been travelling on the bus.
Videos shared on social media appeared to show the freight train, which was carrying shipping containers, crashing into the bus before dragging nearby vehicles along the tracks.
People near the crossing described scenes of confusion and fear as the fire spread moments after the collision.
“The bus was stuck at a red light, so it couldn’t move,” motorcycle taxi driver Wanthong Kokpho told Reuters. “The fire broke out immediately.”
He added that the crash happened during a quieter period of the day, warning that the casualties could have been far worse during peak traffic hours.
Rescue workers pulled injured passengers from the wreckage while firefighters worked to contain the blaze. Authorities later confirmed the fire had been brought under control and that investigations into the cause of the crash were ongoing.
Thailand has long faced criticism over road and transport safety standards.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has previously ranked the country among the world’s deadliest for traffic accidents, citing weak enforcement of safety regulations.
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