President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has conveyed his condolences to Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul following a deadly railway accident in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province.
In a statement, President Muizzu said he was deeply saddened by the tragedy, which claimed dozens of lives and left many others injured. He expressed the sympathies of the Maldivian government and people to the Thai authorities and to the families of those who lost their loved ones. The President also wished a speedy recovery to the injured and expressed hope that search and rescue operations would continue smoothly as authorities respond to the disaster.
The accident occurred when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving train near Ban Thanon Khot, a town where rail transport is a vital link to major cities. The impact crushed several carriages, with one catching fire, significantly hampering rescue efforts. Emergency responders used cranes and hydraulic cutting equipment to free passengers trapped in the wreckage.
At least 32 people were killed and 66 injured, most of them students and workers travelling for school and work. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry said three people remain missing. Rescue teams were still recovering bodies from the mangled train hours after the crash.
The incident followed another crane-related accident in Thailand the next day, when a crane fell onto vehicles on a speedway, killing two people.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an investigation into the rail crash, while the State Railway of Thailand announced legal action against Italian-Thai Development Company, the firm responsible for both the sites where the accidents occurred. The company was also involved in the construction of a Bangkok skyscraper that collapsed during an earthquake last March.
