A construction crane collapse resulted in a tragic train accident in Thailand on the morning of Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The accident left at least 32 people dead and 66 injured. The train, traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province, was hit by the falling crane in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, approximately 143 miles northeast of Bangkok. The impact caused a derailment and a subsequent fire.
The train, carrying between 157 and 195 passengers (sources vary), was traveling at an estimated speed of 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour) when the accident occurred, according to officials. The three-carriage train suffered significant damage, particularly the second carriage that was hit directly by the crane.
Mitr Intrpanya, a 54-year-old eyewitness, described the incident, “At around 9 a.m., I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions. The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half.” The immediate aftermath saw residents and train staff scrambling to assist those trapped in the damaged carriage, although a spreading fire limited access.
By the evening, the fire was extinguished. Three passengers were listed as missing, though officials later indicated they were presumed to have disembarked at earlier stations. Among the fatalities was a German tourist who was traveling with his wife to her hometown in Surin province. His wife, Taew Eimertenbrink, 63, survived and stated from her hospital bed that her husband was “killed instantly” in the derailment.
Italian-Thai Development PCL, the operator of the crane and the contractor for the project, offered condolences and pledged support to the victims and their families. Anan Phonimdaeng, the acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, stated that a review of responsibilities is being carried out and legal actions against the contractor are being considered.
Notably, this isn’t the first fatal accident tied to the company. In March 2025, a building in Bangkok, co-constructed by the company, collapsed following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake centered in Myanmar. Between 89 and 95 people were killed, making it one of Thailand’s deadliest structural failures. The State Audit Office building was the only major structure in Thailand to collapse from the earthquake. In May 2025, 17 individuals, including the company’s president, Premchai Karnasuta, and executives from both Italian-Thai Development and China Railway No. 10, were charged with professional negligence causing death. As of January 2026, trials are ongoing.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that repeat offenders could be blacklisted by the Comptroller General’s Department and the Transport Ministry. The state rail operator ordered a stop to Italian-Thai’s construction activities, and a committee will be formed to investigate the crane collapse.
The crane was being used for a two-phase, $16.8 billion high-speed rail project, which aims to connect Bangkok to the northeastern province of Nong Khai, bordering Laos. This project, part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, is intended to boost travel and trade between Southeast Asia and China.
The project has faced previous troubles. In August 2024, a railway tunnel collapsed in Nakhon Ratchasima province as a result of heavy rainfall, killing three workers. The Railway Department plans to sue the contractor over the recent train accident, which caused over $3.2 million in damages to the train, while the construction machinery suffered minimal damage.