Overview
- Rescue officials said a freight train hit a public bus at a level crossing near Bangkok’s Makkasan station on Saturday, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 30.
- The impact ignited the bus and several nearby vehicles, with firefighters reporting a fast-moving blaze and small explosions before bringing the fire under control.
- Preliminary findings suggest the bus was stopped on the tracks at a red light, which kept the barriers from dropping, and investigators are checking the signals and crossing equipment.
- Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said all the bodies recovered so far were found inside the bus as teams treated the wounded and cleared wreckage.
- Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered an inquiry, putting fresh focus on Thailand’s recurring level-crossing crashes and high road fatality rates.