At least 17 people were killed and several dozen were injured in a collision between a train and a bus near Bangkok on Sunday, authorities said.
The accident occurred about 50 kilometers from the capital, as the bus transported passengers to a temple in Chachoengsao province, eastern Thailand, to attend a Buddhist ceremony, a local official said. of the police.
“The toll we have at the moment is 17 dead,” said the official. The collision took place at around 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. GMT).
Provincial governor Maitree Tritilanond told reporters at least 29 people were injured.
The first images released by rescuers show the coach overturned on one side, its roof torn off, twisted pieces of metal, bodies lying on the tracks and personal items of passengers strewn at the scene of the collision.
The death toll and injured are expected to rise, officials said.
Such accidents are common in Thailand, a country which regularly tops the rankings of the world’s most dangerous road networks. Speeding, drunk driving and poor traffic control are the main causes of this situation.
According to a report released in 2018 by the World Health Organization (WHO), Thailand has the second highest traffic fatality rate in the world.
The majority of the victims are motorcyclists, but accidents of coaches carrying groups of tourists or workers are frequent.