Nakhon Ratchasima Crane Collapse: Victims Identified, Rail to Reopen Soon

Families in Nakhon Ratchasima have now claimed the remains of every passenger killed when a 20-ton launcher gantry segment plunged onto the Bangkok–Ubon Ratchathani express, moving the story from frantic searches to long-term questions about compensation, project delays, and construction safety.

Quick Take

• 30 victims officially named; identification centre shut

• 66 people still recovering in hospitals across Korat, Saraburi and Bangkok

• Rail line between Kaeng Khoi and Khon Kaen expected to re-open in one week

• Contractor Italian-Thai faces criminal negligence probe and possible blacklisting

• Ministry audit ordered for all launcher cranes on the Thai-Chinese route

Identification Completed, Farewells Begin

With DNA matches finalized overnight, provincial officials closed the temporary verification room at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital. Relatives from Surin, Yasothon, Si Sa Ket, and as far south as Chon Buri have taken loved ones home for Buddhist and Muslim rites. "We can finally light the incense for him," said Jittra Phongnet from Buriram, clutching her son’s ashes outside the morgue.

Support Package for the Families

Authorities have assembled a three-layer relief plan:

฿1.34 M in immediate compensation from State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and the contractor.

Funeral subsidies of up to ฿50,000 per family organised through the Interior Ministry.

Trauma counselling provided at district hospitals for any household affected. Mobile units will visit villages during the 49-day mourning period to ensure rural families are not overlooked.

What It Means for Weekend Travellers

Trains to the Northeast remain diverted through Kaeng Khoi–Bua Yai until the bent rails at Ban Thanon Khot are swapped out. SRT says the main track should reopen "within seven days" if the weather cooperates. Passengers who booked for the Lunar New Year peak can:

• Rebook without penalty to any date in February.

• Apply online for full refunds within 180 days.

• Check real-time status on the SRT mobile app, which now shows a red banner marked ‘Sikhiu closure’ for every affected service.

Engineering Questions No Longer Ignorable

Industry groups point to at least three launcher collapses in Thailand since 2023, calling the systemically loose safety culture "the real saboteur." Structural engineer Prof. Amorn Pimarnmas flagged several red alerts: improper bracket anchoring, language barriers with foreign manuals, and failure to shut the rail line while the 120 m-long crane was repositioning overhead. The collapsed unit weighed roughly 450 t including counterweights; only a segment of its base actually struck the express, but that was enough to derail three coaches and ignite a diesel spill.

Italian-Thai Under the Microscope

Police have charged the subcontractor with reckless action causing death. Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn has instructed his panel to decide within a fortnight whether to blacklist the firm from all state infrastructure bids. Contract 3-4, the stretch where the accident happened, was already 99.5 % complete; insiders warn a re-tender would still delay the overall Bangkok–Korat high-speed line past its 2030 opening date.

Broader Impact on the 5.4 B Dollar Project

The Thai-Chinese venture has suffered eleven schedule slips since 2017. This incident adds cost pressure from:

• Track repairs and rolling-stock replacement

• Extended insurance premiums for heavy-lift operations

• Mandatory third-party engineering audits for every launcher crane along the 251 km first phaseSRT insists the headline timeline survives, but officials in Beijing quietly note that Phase 2 to Nong Khai cannot even start environmental hearings until Bangkok proves it can manage Phase 1 safely.

Are Safer Options on the Table?

Veteran engineers are reviving the idea of night-time construction blocks and temporary bus bridges—a common practice on European lines—to keep people off the rails during critical lifts. The Council of Engineers is drafting updated launcher-crane guidelines in both Thai and Mandarin, with mandatory sign-offs before any future shift can begin.

What Comes Next

The fact-finding committee, which includes representatives from the Council of Engineers, the Safety at Work Department, and an independent Swiss forensic firm, must deliver preliminary results by 31 January. Until then, every overhead gantry between Don Mueang and Korat will sit idle, a chilling reminder that Thailand’s race for high-speed connectivity is only as fast as its commitment to rigorous safety standards.