At least eight lives were lost in a devastating accident after a freight train crashed into a pickup truck in Thailand's Chachoengsao province on early Friday morning, authorities said. The accident occurred more than two hours after midnight and injured four others.
According to the State Railway of Thailand, the 54-year-old truck driver, Wichai Yulek, had seen the approaching train and heard a warning blast. However, passengers in the vehicle urged him to keep driving despite slowing down.
As a result, the driver could not stop the vehicle after realising an imminent collision while crossing the railway tracks. On the other hand, a 20-year-old passenger said that the driver did not stop despite a triple warning blast from the train. The truck was taking workers to the Chonburi province.
Three women are among the eight dead people, aged 22, 55 and 64. The bodies have been taken to a police hospital.
The site of the accident has an unauthorised crossing which does not have any barriers to prevent vehicle crossings while trains approach. There are 693 unauthorised crossing points along the national rail system, said the agency.
Deadly accidents are not uncommon in Thailand, which ranks as having one of the world's most lethal roads, owing to overspeeding, drunk driving and weak law enforcement.
On July 31, at least 12 people were killed and 121 people left wounded after a huge explosion at a fireworks explosion in Thailand's Narathiwat province. A possible cause of the blast was likely due to sparks from metal welding causing the fireworks stored inside to catch fire and explode during construction work, said the provincial governor to local media.
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