At least eight people died on Saturday in an accident where a freight train collided with a bus and several cars in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
This is reported by the news agency Reuters.
According to the agency, at least 25 more were injured in the collision, which triggered a fire that engulfed the bus and several nearby cars.
The Norwegian news agency NTB writes that videos on social media show that the train crashed into the bus, which was then torn apart by the train.
The images also show that a large cloud of dark smoke rose after the collision.
The Bangkok Post also writes that explosions were heard from the area.
The local authorities received a report of the accident at 3:42 p.m. local time.
The accident occurred in the Huai Khwang district, according to the media, and witnesses say it happened when the bus crossed the train tracks. The train was unable to stop, it is said.
Rescue workers have tried to rescue injured people from the wreck, while the fire department worked to get the fire under control.
The fire was under control on Saturday afternoon Danish time. However, the work of searching for victims of the accident is still ongoing.
The news agency writes that firefighters are also working to cool down the area and ventilate the gas.
It is still unknown what the underlying cause of the collision is.
It is not unusual for fatal road accidents to occur in Thailand, which according to AFP often tops lists of the deadliest roads in the world, where speeding, drunk driving and poor enforcement play a major role.
Back in January, 32 people lost their lives when a crane collapsed onto a passenger train in northeastern Thailand.
Also back in 2020, a freight train collided with a bus. Then, 18 people died on their way to a religious ceremony, and in 2023, eight people lost their lives in an accident between a freight train and a pickup truck.
/ritzau/
