At least eight people were killed and more than 30 injured on Saturday afternoon after a freight train struck a public bus at a level crossing in central Bangkok, triggering a fire that engulfed the bus and several nearby vehicles. All eight fatalities were passengers on the bus, according to Thai authorities, with the injured being treated at hospitals across the city.
The collision occurred near Makkasan station, a hub on Bangkok's airport rail link in the heart of the Thai capital. Preliminary findings from Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat indicate that the bus had come to a stop on the tracks while waiting at a red light, leaving it stranded across the crossing and preventing the safety barriers from closing. The container freight train, travelling at a moderate speed, was unable to stop in time. Videos circulated on social media showed the train striking the bus and dragging several other cars and motorcycles along the tracks. A witness described the fire breaking out immediately after impact, adding that the toll could have been far worse had the collision occurred on a normal working day, when traffic volumes at the busy intersection — used by tens of thousands of vehicles daily — are significantly higher.
Firefighters and rescue crews were swiftly dispatched to the scene, where they battled the blaze with water hoses while pulling survivors from the wreckage. Forensic officers and investigators examined the burnt-out shell of the bus after the fire was brought under control. Bangkok's police chief confirmed that crews were working to recover bodies and stabilise the area. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered a full investigation into the incident.
The crash is the latest in a grim series of deadly transport accidents in Thailand. The World Health Organization consistently ranks Thailand's roads among the world's most dangerous, with speeding, drunk driving and weak enforcement of safety standards all identified as contributing factors. A crane collapse onto a passenger train in Thailand's northeast killed 32 people in January 2026, and a freight train collision with a bus carrying worshippers to a religious ceremony killed 18 people in 2020. Authorities say the full cause of Saturday's crash remains under investigation.