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BANGKOK (Reuters) – A bus heading to a Buddhist temple collided with a train in central Thailand on Sunday, leaving at least 20 dead and 30 injured, authorities said.
The accident occurred at 8:05 am (0105 GMT) near the Khlong Kwaeng Klan train station 63 kilometers east of Bangkok, said Maitree Tritilanon, governor of Chachoengsao province, where the accident occurred.
A tour bus carrying about 60 factory workers on their way to a Buddhist ceremony at a temple was crossing a railroad track when it was hit by a freight train heading to the capital from the east of the country.
The bus rolled over on its side and the top part broke, with debris and metal strewn across the crash area, images from rescuers showed. The train remained on the rails.
Governor Maitree said the crossing has an alarm but does not have a barrier to block traffic when a train is approaching. He said the province will install speed bumps and barriers, as well as cut down trees near the crossing to improve visibility.
“Let this case be a lesson, and we will make improvements at risk locations so that such accidents do not happen again,” Maitree said in a statement.
Thailand’s roads are among the deadliest in the world, according to the World Health Organization. There has been little improvement despite safety campaigns over the years.
The bus passengers were traveling from Samut Prakan province to a Buddhist temple in Chachoengsao for a merit-making ceremony marking the end of Buddhist Lent.
(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Edited by William Mallard)
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