Monday, 18 May 2026
Monday, 18 May 2026
At least eight people were killed and 25 others injured after a train collision triggered a fire that engulfed a public bus in Bangkok on Saturday, rescue officials and police said.
Thai news reported that the crash happened in late afternoon near an airport rail link station in the central area.
The city's emergency services Erawan Medical Centre said at least eight were killed and more than 20 people were injured.
Videos of the moment of the crash shared on social media showed a line of vehicles had stopped at a railway crossing when a cargo train struck an orange bus at the front.
The impact also dragged several nearby vehicles along the tracks before the bus was engulfed in flames. Several motorcycles and their riders were also seen being thrown onto the road after the collision.
Firefighters and rescue crews were dispatched as flames engulfed the bus and nearby vehicles, they said, adding the crash involved a train, the bus, cars and motorcycles.
Rescue teams worked to pull injured victims from the wreckage as fire crews battled the blaze with water hoses in a race to contain the fire, officials said.
The fire has now been brought under control, with crews cooling the area, venting gas and continuing to search for victims, they said. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat told reporters at the crash site that all the bodies were found on the bus. He said it was still unclear how many people were on board.
When asked about reports that the bus had stopped on the railway tracks and that the barriers, used to keep motorists away from the tracks when the trains are passing, may not have lowered properly, Siripong said the matter still needs to be investigated.
Kittipong Raksa said he parked his car near the train tracks when he heard the signal indicating the train was about to pass.
"I heard a thud and then another. I heard something hitting my car," said Kittipong. "Then I saw the train pass, dragging the bus with it." He said after the collision, he found someone caught under his car, with a broken leg.
Kittipong said he did not see the barriers being lowered.
