LOC14:07
11:07 GMT
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (KUNA) -- Thai authorities announced on Wednesday that 22 people were killed and at least 80 others injured after a passenger train collided with a collapsed construction crane in northeast Thailand.
The train, traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani with 195 passengers on board, derailed after a crane used in the construction of an elevated high-speed railway line fell onto the moving train, causing several carriages to catch fire.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, quoted by the Bangkok Post, said a full investigation has been ordered to determine the cause of the crane's collapse, noting that the victims were in two of the three affected carriages.
Police said the incident occurred about 230 kilometers northeast of Bangkok when the crane, part of an elevated rail project above the existing track, collapsed directly onto the train, severely damaging the second carriage.
Firefighters have contained the blaze, while rescue teams continue search operations and transfer the injured to nearby hospitals. Train services on the affected section have been temporarily suspended pending investigations and safety inspections. (end)
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