Passengers on board the Kuala Lumpur to Hat Yai service were predominantly foreign nationals. The unnamed driver of the cement mixer was taken to nearby Songkhlanagarind Hospital where his condition was reported as stable over the weekend.
The accident took place in Banpru District just as the train was making its final approach to Hat Yai. The crossing where it took place has no safety barriers to stop traffic when trains are passing through. Initial enquiries seem to indicate the truck driver pulled onto the crossing without first checking whether there was a train coming.
The locomotive rammed the truck with enough force to knock it into an adjacent ditch. The engine was badly damaged by the collision and State Railway of Thailand engineers had to bring another one from Hat Yai to tow the train to its destination.
Malay Thai express train rams cement mixer at crossing
News in Asia
An international express train travelling from Malaysia to Thailand crashed into a cement mixer at a road crossing late last week. No casualties were reported among the passengers and crew aboard the Langkawi Express after the accident near Hat Yai on Thursday.