18 killed, 44 injured in bus-train collision in Thailand: Police

Chachoengsao [Thailand], October 11 (ANI): At least 18 people were killed and 44 injured in a collision between a freight train and a bus at a crossing near Khlong Kwaeng Klan railway station in Chachoengsao province on Sunday, police said.
The driver of the bus is among the dead, NHK World reported.
The collision happened around 8.05 am when the bus was on its way from Samut Prakan province, south of Bangkok, to Wat Bang Pla Nak temple for the traditional Tod Kathin ceremony to mark the end of the Buddhist Lent.
All injured were taken to Ban Pho, Phutthasothorn, and Kasemrat hospitals in Muang district.
"Provincial Governor Maitree Tritilanond earlier told reporters that so far about 29 people were injured, but the number was revised upwards to 44, all but 13 of them discharged from hospital by early afternoon," Bangkok Post wrote.
According to witnesses, the railway crossing in a thinly populated area of the eastern province had no barrier. The noise of the train alarm was heard only moments before the clash. Police believe the bus driver failed to notice the oncoming train, NHK World said.
Bangkok Post reported that after the collision, the bus overturned on one side, its top ripped off. The rescue workers said a crane was needed to lift it, according to Bangkok Post.
According to a 2018 report of the World Health Organization, the country has the second-highest traffic fatality rate in the world. (ANI)