BANGKOK — At least eight people were killed and 32 others were injured in Thailand on Saturday after a freight train struck a bus at a rail crossing in Bangkok, igniting a fire that engulfed the vehicle, rescue officials and a deputy transport minister said.
Firefighters and rescue crews were dispatched as flames engulfed the public bus and nearby vehicles close to the Airport Rail Link’s Makkasan station, officials said, adding that the crash also involved cars and motorcycles.
Preliminary reports showed the bus had been stopped on the tracks at a red light, preventing crossing barriers from closing, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat told reporters.
Emergency workers at the scene of where a freight train struck a bus in Bangkok on May 16, 2026. Xavier Malafosse/SIPA/Shutterstock
Eight people were killed, and 32 others were injured in the collision. Xavier Malafosse/SIPA/ShutterstockThe train, which was transporting containers, was unable to stop in time to avoid colliding with the bus, he added.
“Eight people were killed and 32 injured, with the wounded being treated at various hospitals. All eight dead were on the bus,” he said.
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 Reuters.
Damage seen on the front of the freight train involved in the deadly collision. Xavier Malafosse/SIPA/Shutterstock
A burned car that was also involved in the harrowing wreck. Xavier Malafosse/SIPA/Shutterstock
Firefighters working to extinguish the burning bus. RUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA/Shutterstock
One of the other cars involved in the crash. ZUMAPRESS.com“The fire broke out immediately … If this had been a normal working day, the damage would have been much worse.”
Rescue teams worked to pull injured victims from the wreckage as fire crews battled the blaze with water hoses, officials said.
The fire was brought under control, and crews were cooling the area, venting gas and continuing to search for victims, they said. 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.






