British girl, 7, among dozens of tourists injured in train crash in Thailand

Dozens of people, including a young British girl, were injured when a packed train struck a locomotive in western Thailand.

The girl, aged 7, was travelling on he busy train carrying hundreds of people when it hit a locomotive at the Wang Yen Railway Station in the city of Kanchanaburi.

Screaming people were sent flying from their seats by the sudden impact, which shattered windows on the six carriages.

More than 30 people are thought to have been hurt in the crash, including four with serious injuries. Three British nationals, including the young girl, were among those injured, officials said.

Thirteen injured passengers were rushed to the Phahol Pholpayuhasena Hospital and Thanakarn Hospital, while 20 people who sustained minor injuries received first aid at the scene, but declined hospital treatment.

Footage shows shocked passengers being treated at the scene, with a man holding a baby and one person strapped to a gurney.

SRT, Thailand’s state railway operator, has issued an apology after the incident on Saturday afternoon.

What caused the Thailand train crash?

The passengers were on board a local train service running between Nam Tok and Kanchanaburi when it collided with a diesel locomotive, which was being shunted at the Wang Yen station.

However, the exact cause of the accident is being investigated.

SRT said it is carrying out a detailed probe to launch preventative measures and avoid any future incidents, according to The Nation Thailand.

Railway staff have also reportedly been told to visit the injured passengers in the hospital, the outlet reports.

How common are rail accidents in Thailand?

Serious rail incidents are not uncommon in the Southeast Asian country with over 2,400 miles of railways.

However, most of the network runs on single tracks, which can slow down operations, and some tourist hotspots are not accessible by train.

Level crossings have seen several fatal crashes in recent years.

In January 2016, a passenger train collided with a cattle truck at a level crossing in Phetchaburi Province, killing three and injuring 34.

Two train crew members died after the train hit a truck trailer at a railway crossing near a station in the northeastern Udon Thani Province in January 2022.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.