32 people were killed and 67 others injured after a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Thailand's Nakhon Ratchasima Province on Wednesday morning.

The accident happened at around 9 am in the northeast province when the Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani special express train struck the railway construction crane that was in its path, causing derailment and fires in the affected carriages, according to local news portal The Nation.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called for those responsible for the accident to be punished. He expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and urged that all efforts be focused on providing aid to the injured and conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.

Anutin instructed Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn and Acting Governor of the State Railway of Thailand Anan Phonimdang to conduct an on-site investigation and oversee the immediate response.

Anutin emphasized that the incident was not just a technical failure but a serious violation of public safety. He called for all involved parties to be fully investigated and that legal and disciplinary actions be taken.

Local newspaper Bangkok Post reported that the crane first fell onto the second carriage, which had 40 passengers inside. A fire erupted, primarily in the second carriage, making escape difficult as the air-conditioned train had electric automatic doors and windows that could not be opened by hand.

The tragedy happened in the section of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway under the third and fourth contracts, which cover Lam Ta Kong-Si Khiew and Kudjik-Khok Kruad. The contracts were awarded to Italian-Thai Development Plc. As of December, construction on these sections was nearly complete.

As of Wednesday evening, there was no official confirmation yet indicating that any Chinese citizen was involved in this tragic incident. The Chinese embassy in Thailand confirmed that no Chinese enterprises or workers were involved in the railway section's construction.

At a regular news briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China has taken note of the reports concerning the accident and extended condolences to the victims and their families.

She emphasized that the Chinese government places a high priority on the safety of projects and personnel, and is actively looking into the situation. She added that the cause of the accident remains under investigation.

The State Railway of Thailand and the Department of Rail Transport deployed officials to the scene after receiving the accident report. They are also conducting an investigation into how a construction crane -- part of the elevated high-speed railway project -- fell onto the tracks.

Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said he received a report about the incident and ordered the SRT to investigate the cause of the crane collapse, according to Bangkok Post. An emergency center was established at the site to assist passengers with alternative routes.

The train hit by the collapsed crane was running the Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani route features Special Express trains (No 21 daytime, No 23 overnight) offering air-conditioned seating and sleepers from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.

Local news reported that the train was carrying 171 passengers, departing from Krung Thep Apiwat Station in Bangkok at 5 am and traveling at about 120 kilometers per hour. Traveling at high speed, the impact caused the train to derail.

yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn