Thai police have charged a train driver after a crash on Saturday in central Bangkok in which a freight train collided with a public bus at a rail crossing, killing eight people and injuring 32.
Bangkok police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit said the driver had been charged with negligence causing death.
“Evidence clearly indicates reckless conduct leading to fatalities,”
he said.
Mr Koondejsumrit said the bus driver would also be charged, but remained under medical treatment and could not be questioned, so charges had not yet been filed.
Investigators are examining whether additional charges may be brought, he said.
Engulfed in flames
The crash happened late on Saturday afternoon near an airport railway station in the central Bangkok.
Videos shared on social media showed the train striking the bus and dragging several other nearby vehicles along the tracks.
“The bus was stuck at a red light, so it couldn’t move. Cars were also blocked and unable to move forward,” Wanthong Kokpho, a motorcycle taxi driver who witnessed the crash, told media.
“The fire broke out immediately … If this had been a normal working day, the damage would have been much worse.”
Videos showed a group of rescuers entering the charred bus after the flames were brought under control.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.
Thailand’s roads rank among the world’s deadliest, according to the World Health Organization, due to weak enforcement of safety standards.
Compensation for victims
In the hours after the accident, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the scene, alongside other government officials.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the scene in the hours following the accident (Supplied: Thai Ministry of Transport Public Relations)
On Sunday, the prime minister also visited injured commuters at Camillian Hospital in Bangkok.
In addition to its investigation, the government has pledged compensation, with the families of people killed in the accident to receive payments of 1.5 million baht ($64,404) while those injured could receive up to 500,000 baht.
ABC/AFP/Reuters