KABUL (Pajhwok): At least eight people have been killed and 35 others injured after a freight train collided with a public bus in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok.
According to Al Jazeera, flames engulfed the bus and several nearby vehicles near an airport rail link station in central Bangkok on Saturday afternoon.
Bangkok’s Erawan Medical Center confirmed the death toll, while Bangkok police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit told AFP that at least 35 people were injured.
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said all the victims found so far were on board the bus, though the total number of passengers remained unclear.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an investigation into the incident, according to a statement from his office.
The crash occurred around 3:40 p.m. local time after the bus appeared to become stuck at a railway crossing when the safety barriers came down.
The freight train slammed into the stationary bus and continued moving, dragging several nearby vehicles before the bus burst into flames.
Firefighters and rescue teams rushed to the scene to rescue passengers and contain the blaze, while bystanders and motorcyclists helped redirect traffic.
Authorities later confirmed that the fire had been brought under control.
sa
