The driver of a freight train that collided with a bus in Thailand’s capital, killing eight people, has tested positive for drugs and has been charged with reckless driving, police said on Monday, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
The crash occurred on Saturday afternoon at a busy junction in Bangkok, where the train struck a public bus that subsequently burst into flames. Authorities said 30 people were injured in the incident.
Police also charged the train driver, who was injured in the crash, and a railway-crossing guard on Sunday with negligence causing injury and death, according to Urumporn Koondejsumrit, chief of the local police station where the accident occurred. Both suspects denied the charges, he told AFP.
Urumporn said an initial urine test of the driver indicated the presence of illicit drugs in his system, though he did not specify the substances. Further testing will be carried out, including on the other train operator and a technician aboard the train.
Images shared on social media showed the freight train approaching a level crossing at moderate speed before colliding with the bus, which was stuck in traffic on the tracks.
Bangkok police chief Siam Boonsom said on Sunday that traffic congestion occurs daily at the crossing, though no previous accidents had been recorded there.
Police are reviewing video footage from the scene to determine whether the crossing guard was negligent. Siam said officials can be seen holding a red flag indicating the track was not safe, while also noting that the train did not stop or slow down before the collision.
Footage from other days showed vehicles frequently stopped on the tracks, with officials using red flags to signal trains to halt until the crossing was clear, he added.
Authorities are also investigating the train’s speed and braking distance, Siam said.
Local emergency services confirmed that eight people were killed and 30 injured, with 17 still hospitalized as of Sunday evening. The number of injured was revised down from an initial report of 35.
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