The accident occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, 230km (143 miles) northeast of Bangkok, on a train from the capital bound for ⁠Ubon Ratchathani province.

Footage from the scene showed the broken crane resting on concrete pillars above the smoking wreckage of the train. The structure – part of a high-speed rail project being built overhead – had collapsed directly onto the line below.

“At around 9am, I heard a loud noise, like something sliding down from above, followed by two explosions,” said local resident Mitr Intrpanya, 54, who was at the scene.

“When I went to see what had happened, I found the crane sitting on a passenger train with three carriages.

“The metal from the crane appeared to strike the middle of the second carriage, slicing it in half,” Mitr said.