Train driver 'was not in cabin' before crash that killed eight in Bangkok
A train driver was allegedly not in the cabin before the horror train crash that killed eight and injured dozens in Thailand.
Sayomporn Suankul, 46, was tasked with controlling the freight train when it ploughed into a bus and other vehicles at the Makkasan station in Bangkok on May 16.
But police claimed CCTV footage 'clearly captured' the cabin was empty during the fatal accident.
Video shows the train mowing down motorists and vehicles at the congested junction, including a bus that burst into flames.
Investigators said the clip showed that Sayomporn was absent from the control room at the time.
Urumporn Koondejsumrit, chief of the Makkasan Police Station, said both the train driver, Sayomporn Sornkoon, 46, and the on-duty crossing guard, Uthen Jomkhiri, 57, have been arrested. Drugs were allegedly detected in the driver's body.
The assistant train operator has also been brought in for questioning.
The police chief added: 'The train driver has been charged with negligence causing death, as evidence clearly indicates reckless conduct leading to fatalities.'
Phichet Khunathamrak, director-general of the Department of Rail Transport, said drug tests conducted on the train operator showed positive results in urine screening.
Further laboratory analysis is underway, along with ongoing legal proceedings.
A spokesman for the Department of Rail Transport said it has 'strict drug and alcohol tests' on all train operators and ground staff under a 'zero-tolerance' policy.
Authorities said the crash occurred on the rail line intersecting busy Asok-Din Daeng Road at exactly 3:36 pm local time.
The barrier, which is normally lowered to prevent vehicles from being on the tracks as trains approach, was still raised.
Footage of the crash showed the impact, with passengers being hurled through glass windows. Several perished in the flames.
Thick black smoke was seen rising from burning wreckage as traffic was brought to a standstill.
CCTV cameras overlooking the crossing also captured the collision. A car and a large blue public transport bus were engulfed in flames as motorists scrambled to pull a second car away from danger.
Several motorcycles were scattered across the ground.
Paramedics at the scene said at least eight people were killed and 32 others injured.
Officers said the bus driver would also be charged, but he remained under medical treatment and was unable to be questioned.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat and BMTA director Kittikan Chomduang Jaruworapolkul attended the scene to oversee the response.
The Makkasan station is where thousands of tourists take a monorail every day on the Airport Rail Link. However, the level crossing below, which is a separate overland train line, has become notorious for heavy traffic, with cars often getting stuck on the rail lines as the barrier lowers and trains approach.
Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.
