Thai police have charged a train driver with negligence following an accident on Saturday in central Bangkok in which a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing, killing eight people and injuring 32.
“The train driver was charged with negligence causing death as the evidence clearly indicates reckless conduct leading to deaths,” Urumporn Koondejsumrit, head of the Makkasan Police Station, told Reuters.
He said the bus driver would also be charged, but remained under medical treatment and could not be questioned, so charges had not yet been laid.
Investigators are examining whether additional charges can be filed, he said.
The one was stopped on the tracks at a red light, causing a fire and dragging several nearby vehicles across the tracks.
The site has been cleaned and services restored, while authorities will reinforce measures to prevent this from happening again, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said in a statement.
Commuters said they had long feared a collision as vehicles continued to pass through the intersection despite stop signs.
“This shouldn’t have happened. I want all drivers to understand traffic laws correctly,” said Thanphisit Nawatkonoangkoon, a 20-year-old train traveler.
Thailand’s roads are among the deadliest in the world, according to the World Health Organization, due to weak enforcement of safety standards.
