Nakhon Ratchasima (Thailand) (AFP) - A crane at a China-backed high-speed rail project in Thailand collapsed onto a passenger train on Wednesday and caused it to derail, killing at least 32 people, authorities said.

The massive crane was left resting on giant concrete pillars while dozens of rescuers worked searched for missing people in mangled train carriages in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast of the capital Bangkok.

The company contracted to build the section of the high-speed rail where the crane fell, Italian-Thai Development – one of the Thailand’s biggest construction firms – has seen several deadly accidents at its sites in recent years.

The firm expressed condolences for those killed and the dozens injured, saying in a statement it would “take responsibility for compensating the victims’ families and covering medical expenses”.

From a hospital bed in Nakhon Ratchasima, survivor Taew Eimertenbrink, 63, said her German husband “was killed instantly” in the derailment.

“I was sleeping. He was sleeping. A metal bar was on him,” she told reporters.

The couple was visiting from Germany and travelling to Taew’s hometown in Surin province, she said.

“I thought travel by train was the best way, but… this happened.”

The Thai health ministry said 32 people were confirmed dead, three were missing and 64 were hospitalised including seven in serious condition.

Resident Mitr Intrpanya said he went to the scene after hearing two loud explosions and found the fallen crane sitting on a train with three carriages.

“The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half,” the 54-year-old told AFP.

- ‘Blacklist’ -

The accident happened at a construction site that is part of a more than $5 billion project backed by China to build a high-speed rail network in Thailand.

It aims to connect Bangkok to Kunming in China via Laos by 2028 as part of Beijing’s vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

Engineering consultant Theerachote Rujiviphat, an adviser on the project, told AFP Italian-Thai Development was solely responsible for the crane collapse.

Theerachote, from the China Railway Design Corporation, said the launching crane that fell onto the existing rail tracks also belonged to Italian-Thai.

“It is the only company in charge,” Theerachote added.

But Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said later at the scene that all parties involved would be held accountable, including Italian-Thai and the Chinese consultancy company.

Thailand’s state rail operator said it would set up a fact-finding committee within 15 days and “prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law”.

The rail operator also said it ordered Italian-Thai to halt construction until its investigation was completed.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at the site of the accident that it was “clearly the fault of the construction company”.

He earlier said in Bangkok that “this kind of incidents happen very regularly,” noting the company’s involvement in past accidents.

“It is time to change the law to blacklist construction companies that are repeatedly responsible for accidents.”

- Deadly accidents -

Italian-Thai Development and its director were among more than 20 people and firms indicted last year in a case linked to the collapse of a Bangkok high-rise in an earthquake. The collapse killed around 90 people, mostly construction workers.

Five people were killed in March when a crane collapsed at a highway construction site, a joint venture including Italian-Thai.

In 2017, a crane used in the construction of Bangkok’s elevated rail system by the firm collapsed, killing three construction workers, according to local media.

The Nakhon Ratchasima provincial public relations department said Wednesday that the crane collapsed onto a train travelling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province, “causing it to derail and catch fire”.

Transport Minister Phiphat said 195 people were on board.

Thailand has around 5,000 kilometres (3,107 miles) of railway but the run-down network has long driven people to favour travel by road.

Upon completion of the 600-kilometre high-speed railway, Chinese-made trains will run from Bangkok to Nong Khai, on the Mekong River border with Laos, at up to 250 kilometres per hour.

In 2020, then Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha signed a deal for Thailand to cover all expenditures for the project, while using China-advised technology.

China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Wednesday that Beijing “attaches great importance to the safety of this project and its personnel”, and expressed the nation’s condolences.

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