By Our Correspondent
National News – Thai police have charged a freight train driver and a railway crossing guard after a deadly train and bus collision in Bangkok killed eight people and left 30 others injured.
Authorities said the train driver tested positive for illicit drugs following the tragic accident that occurred on Saturday afternoon at a busy railway crossing in Thailand’s capital.
The fatal Bangkok train crash happened near the Makkasan Airport Rail station when a freight train slammed into a public bus trapped on the tracks during heavy traffic.
According to police, the impact caused the bus to burst into flames, leading to multiple deaths and injuries.
Police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit confirmed on Monday that both the train driver and the crossing guard were charged with negligence causing death and injury.
However, the two suspects denied the allegations during questioning.
Investigators are also carrying out further drug and medical tests on the train crew to determine whether substance use contributed to the disaster.
Authorities said video footage from the scene showed the crossing guard waving a red flag, warning that the tracks were unsafe due to traffic congestion.
Despite the warning signal, the freight train reportedly failed to slow down or stop before crashing into the bus.
Bangkok police commissioner Siam Boonsom explained that the railway crossing often experiences severe traffic buildup, but officials had never recorded a similar accident there before.
Investigators are now reviewing CCTV footage, train speed records, and braking distance data to understand how the crash occurred and whether safety procedures were ignored.
Emergency responders confirmed that eight people died in the collision, while several victims remain hospitalized with serious injuries.
Officials reduced the earlier injury count from 35 to 30 after verifying hospital records.
The tragic Bangkok railway accident has sparked renewed concerns over rail safety, traffic management, and enforcement of transport regulations in Thailand.
