Train driver under the influence causes eight deaths in Thailand

©Dan Loran via Unsplash

Last weekend, a freight train hit a bus in the Thai capital Bangkok. In the process, eight occupants of the bus were killed and dozens of others were injured.

The driver, who was himself injured in the accident, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death. Initial investigative acts indicate that the train driver was under the influence of drugs. It is not yet clear what drugs the man had in his body. A second driver and a mechanic who were aboard the train also had to take a urine test. Their results are not yet known.

The accident occurred on Saturday afternoon at a very busy intersection in Bangkok. Video footage shared on social media showed the freight train going along at a moderate speed and colliding with a bus, which immediately caught fire. However, the fire was quickly extinguished. "We can see how the officer uses a red flag, indicating that the road was not safe, but we also see that the train does not stop or slow down," said Bangkok Police Chief Siam Boonsom. "The investigators are looking at the speed of the train and the braking distance."

The intersection is a well-known spot in Bangkok and is used by tens of thousands of vehicles every day. There is also a rail line that connects the city center directly to the capital's largest airport.

Drug use is prohibited in Thailand; there is zero tolerance. There are even prison sentences for using drugs.

©Dan Loran via Unsplash - illustration image