At least 22 people have been killed after a construction crane collapsed onto a moving train in Thailand.
The horror accident occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, around 143 miles north of Bangkok.
According to the State Railway of Thailand, 195 passengers were on board the train at the time of the incident.
At least 80 people are reported to be injured, eight of which have been described as severely hurt.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
The nationalities of those killed in the accident have yet to be revealed.
Thai Minister of Transport Phipat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed he has ordered a "thorough and comprehensive investigation” into what caused the deadly collapse.
Local police told Reuters that the train was derailed and briefly caught fire when it was hit.
The train was bound for the city of Ubon Ratchathani in the east of Thailand, close to the border with Vietnam.
The horror accident occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province
|STATE RAILWAY OF THAILAND
The accident is believed to have occurred at around 9am local time.
Mr Ratchakitprakarn said that officials were trying to verify the identities of the deceased.
He added compensation will be paid out if train workers are among the dead.
The Nakhon Ratchasima provincial public relations department wrote on social media that the fire has been brought under control, while rescuers continue to search for people trapped inside the train.
LATEST WORLD HEADLINES FROM GB NEWS:
The accident is believed to have occurred at around 9am local time
|STATE RAILWAY OF THAILAND
Local resident Mitr Intrpanya, who witnessed the disaster unfold, told AFP news agency that he heard two loud explosions during the incident.
He said: "When I went to see what had happened, I found the crane sitting on a passenger train with three carriages.
"The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half."
Thailand's Public Health Ministry has confirmed that all passengers have now been moved from the scene.
Thailand's Public Health Ministry has confirmed that all passengers have now been moved from the scene
|NAKHON RATCHASIMA PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
The craine involved in the accident is believed to have been used in a Beijing-backed railway project which aims to link the Thai capital to the Chinese city of Kunming.
Fatal accidents on industrial and construction sites across Thailand have occurred regularly, many of which have been blamed on relaxed enforcement of safety laws.
Last year, more than 100 people died in Bangkok after a tower block under construction collapsed during an earthquake.
In the past seven years, 150 deaths have been recorded on a road improvement project which intends to link the south of Thailand to the capital city.
Our Standards:
The GB News Editorial Charter
More From GB News