Bangkok Train Crashes Into Bus, Instantly Turns Into Fireball Causing At Least 8 Deaths and 35 Injuries

(Bangkok, 17th Comprehensive News) A devastating traffic accident occurred in downtown Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, on Saturday afternoon (May 16). A freight train was passing through a busy railway crossing when it collided with a public bus that was trapped at a traffic light. The violent impact instantly triggered a towering inferno, engulfing nearby vehicles and resulting in at least eight people dying on the spot and 35 others being injured.

The scene was adjacent to the Makkasan Station of the Bangkok Airport Rail Link, a busy intersection through which tens of thousands of vehicles pass daily. The accident site instantly plunged into extreme panic and chaos.

According to Deputy Minister of Transport Siripong, who disclosed in a press conference, the initial investigation suggests the disaster was related to downtown traffic congestion and traffic signals.

At the time of the incident, the bus reached the intersection of the railway and the road but was forced to stop on the tracks due to a red light ahead and was caught in a dilemma. A large number of cars and motorcycles were also gridlocked, leaving the bus with nowhere to move. Since the bus was horizontally stopped on the tracks, the crash barrier at the crossing could not even close properly.

Videos circulating on social media show a container-carrying freight train approaching at a moderate speed, braking with full force upon spotting the obstacle, but due to enormous inertia, it still could not stop in time and collided head-on with the bus.

Eyewitness Wan Tong told Reuters: "The bus was stuck due to a red light, and the cars in front couldn't move either. The moment of the collision, a tongue of flame shot into the sky... If it had been a normal workday, the casualty numbers would have been far more horrific."

An eyewitness who was passing by the intersection with her daughter told Thai public television with fear: "I only heard a loud bang and then there was fire everywhere. I didn't even dare turn my head for fear of seeing the horrific scene of casualties inside. It was just too scary."

A driver whose car was tossed by the impact said: "I suddenly heard a huge bang, something crashed into my car and sent it flying. Then I saw the bus stuck on the train, and fire everywhere. I was terrified."

Bangkok police chief Udonpong told AFP that the fire spread extremely rapidly, instantly engulfing the bus and several cars and motorcycles nearby.

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin issued a statement, expressing deep condolences to the families of the victims, instructing relevant departments to do their utmost to treat the injured, and at the same time requesting authorities to launch a thorough investigation.

Thailand often ranks among the countries with the highest road fatality rates in the world, with speeding, drunk driving, and inadequate law enforcement being the main causes.