Accident Myanmar Worker Killed by Train After Jumping from Pickup in Panic over Warning Horn

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

An incident occurred on the morning of 31 May, in Samut Sakhon province when a Myanmar worker was struck and killed by a train after jumping from a pickup truck in panic at the sound of the train’s warning horn.

 

The incident took place near the Narong Mit Community entrance in Soi 1, Doem Bang Road, Mahachai sub-district. Pol. Lt. Col. Surapol Wichit of Mueang Samut Sakhon Police Station received the report and arrived at the scene alongside local rescue volunteers from the Samut Sakhon Charity Foundation.

 

The deceased was identified as Ms. Pyu Pyu, a 28-year-old Burmese national wearing a blue factory uniform. Her body was found near the railway tracks with severe injuries, her lower torso severed. Nearby, a white Isuzu pickup truck, used to transport migrant workers, was parked at the roadside.

 

According to Mr. Pramote Champadip, a staff member on board the train, the train involved was service 4341, which had departed Bangkok’s Wongwian Yai Station at 07:40 and was due to arrive at Mahachai Station at 08:36. The incident happened just a few hundred metres short of the final stop. Mr. Pramote stated he was unaware of the exact cause.

 

Mr. Khomsan the 43-year-old pickup driver, said he had been transporting 7–10 Myanmar workers from a factory to their nearby accommodation. As he was crossing the railway, he heard the train’s horn and noted his passengers reacting with alarm and tried to jump clear. “I believed I had cleared the crossing safely, but I heard a commotion and a horn behind me, so I pulled over. When I got out, I saw what had happened,” he said.

 

Relatives of the deceased explained that Ms. Pyu Pyu and several co-workers seated in the back of the truck panicked when they heard the train’s horn and believed the pickup might be struck. In their panic, they jumped from the vehicle. Ms. Pyu Pyu lost her balance and fell onto the tracks, where she was hit by the oncoming train.

 

Police are now reviewing CCTV footage to determine the precise circumstances of the incident as the investigation is ongoing. The victim’s body has been transported to Samut Sakhon Hospital for examination.

 

Governor Narit Niramaivong commented that the incident occurred at an unofficial rail crossing within Samut Sakhon’s municipal area. He noted that plans had already been made for the construction of a designated local road in cooperation with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), but implementation had been delayed due to the recent elections.

 

Following certification by the Election Commission and the reassembly of the provincial council, the matter is expected to proceed, including the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the SRT.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-06-01.