A collision between a freight train and a bus occurred in downtown Bangkok. Fatal road accidents are not uncommon in Thailand.
Preliminary reports showed the public bus had been stopped on the railway tracks at a red light before the crash, preventing crossing barriers from closing, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat told reporters.
The heavy freight train was unable to stop in time to avoid colliding with the bus, he added.
"All eight dead were on the bus," Siripong said, adding that it was still unclear how many people were on board.
The accident occurred near the Airport Rail Link's Makkasan Station in Bangkok's Ratchathewi district on Saturday afternoon.
Videos shared on social media show the train smashing into the orange bus, which was set on fire within minutes, as it dragged several other nearby cars and motorcycles along the tracks.
"The bus was stuck at a red light, so it couldn't move. Cars were also blocked and unable to move forward," Wanthong Kokpho, a motorcycle taxi driver who witnessed the crash, told Reuters.
"The fire broke out immediately ... If this had been a normal working day, the damage would have been much worse," he added.
Thailand's roads regularly top lists of the world's deadliest , with speeding, drunk driving and weak law enforcement of safety standards all contributing factors.
In January, a construction crane fell on a passenger train in Thailand's northeast, killing 32 people and injuring dozens.
Edited by: Rana Taha Advertisement
