AT least eight people have been killed, and dozens injured, after a freight train crashed into a public bus in Thailand’s capital.
Flames engulfed the bus and nearby vehicles near an airport rail link station in the centre of Bangkok Saturday afternoon.
The city’s emergency services Erawan Medical Center confirmed the number of deaths, while Bangkok police chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit told AFP news agency at least 35 people were injured.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that all the bodies were found on the bus. It was not yet clear how many people were on board in total.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered an investigation into the crash, according to a statement from his office.
Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, reporting from Bangkok, said the crash unfolded around 3:40pm local time (08:40 GMT), when the bus appeared to get stuck on an intersection with the rail line after the safety barriers descended.
As the freight train rammed into the stationary bus and continued travelling, it dragged several nearby vehicles along with it before the bus burst into flames.
Siripong would not confirm whether the bus had stopped on the railway track or discuss reports that the barriers may not have lowered properly, saying the matter still needs to be investigated.
Firefighters and rescue crews were dispatched to pull people from the wreckage and battle the flames as motorcyclists and passersby attempted to redirect traffic.
The fire has since been brought under control.
Images from the scene showed dozens of emergency workers and onlookers crowding onto the streets surrounding the collision, as smoke billowed from the nearby train station.
The surrounding area is a very central part of Bangkok’s sprawling metropolis, Cheng said, and was “very busy at the time” with local residents, pedestrians and traffic.
Thai publication Khaosod English reported that the freight train was travelling from the southern Chachoengsao province to Bangkok’s Bang Sue district. The bus operated a route connecting Bangkok’s eastern suburbs to the city centre.
The crash could fuel concerns that Thailand’s rail system is “very antiquated”, Cheng said.
“This will also raise questions about the safety record of Bangkok’s railways.”
The collision follows another deadly rail incident in January when a construction crane fell on a passenger train northeast of Bangkok, killing at least 28 people and injuring 64 others.
Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said at the time that he had ordered a full investigation.