- In Bangkok, a freight train collided with a bus at a busy intersection.
- Eight people died and thirty were injured when a train collided with a bus.
- The driver tested positive for illegal drugs in his urine.
The driver of a train that collided with a bus in the Thai capital of Bangkok over the weekend tested positive for drugs and was charged with reckless driving, the local police said on Monday. Eight people lost their lives in the accidentinforms TASR according to an AFP report.
A freight train crashed into a public transport bus at a busy intersection in Bangkok on Saturday afternoon, engulfing the vehicle in flames and injuring 30 people, authorities said. The train driver, who also suffered injuries, and a level crossing worker were charged with negligence causing bodily harm and death on Sunday, police said.
Both denied the charges. An initial urine test of the train driver revealed illegal drugs in his body, while they did not specify what substances they were. Further testing will also include the second driver and train technician.
In the footage that appeared on social networks on Saturday, it was seen how the train approaches the railway crossing at moderate speed and then crashes into the bus, which was standing on the tracks, stuck in a column. Bangkok police chief Siam Boonsom said on Sunday that traffic jams occur regularly at the intersection, but there had never been an accident before.. Police are reviewing footage from the scene to determine whether the railroad worker was negligent at the crossing, he told reporters.
“We see the worker holding the red flag, which means the track was not safe, but we also see that the train did not stop or slow down, which caused the collision,” Siam said. Footage from the accident scene from other days showed vehicles routinely standing on the track and workers raising a red flag to signal to oncoming trains to stop until traffic cleared, he added. Authorities are also investigating the train’s speed and braking distance, Siam added. Local emergency services said 17 of the 30 injured were still in hospitals Sunday night.
