Subway Crash In Bangkok

[george]

Underground trains crash, several passengers injured

BANGKOK: -- Two underground trains collided at Thailand Cultural Center Station here, causing several injuries.

The incident took place at around 09:30 a.m. when an empty train accidentally headed on the other which stopped for passengers taking on and off at the station.

About 100 injured passengers were rushed to a nearby hospital, a few of whom were reportedly in serious conditions, according to local journalists.

The driver of an underground train was also reported injured.

A technical problem of the subway system's computerized communication system is initially believed to be the cause of the accident.

The Bangkok's first subway system has temporarily halted its service following the accident.

(TNA)--E002

--TNA 2005-01-17

[george]

Two carriages of Bangkok subway collided at about 9:30 a.m. Monday, injuring more than 130 passengers.

BANGKOK: -- Local TV and radio reports said the accident occurred at northeastern Bangkok near the Cultural Center station when a train preparing to leave the station collided with another one.

Over 130 passengers were injured as the accident happened at the morning rush hour.

The capital's public transportation administration has ordered the suspending of all subway trains.

Rescue officials said all passengers had been brought out of the underground train with the injured admitting to nearby hospital.

Initial investigation showed that one of the train which was under repair slid out of the repair station and collided with the other train.

Transport and Communication Minister Suriya Juengrungruangkit ruled out the accident has any link with terrorist attack.

After seven years of construction, the Bangkok subway began to operate in early July last year. The 20-km-long subway has 18 stations and can carry some 250,000 passengers each day.

--Agencies 2005-01-17

[george]

100 injured in Bangkok train crash

BANGKOK: -- Around 100 people were injured when two trains in Bangkok's five-month-old subway system crashed during the morning rush hour, officials and witnesses said.

The accident prompted authorities to suspend train services for the day and its resumption will be announced later.

"The accident happened around 9:30 am when the train headed for Hua Lam Pong left Thailand's cultural center station was hit from behind by another train that was empty," police Maj. Gen. Dusitsan Teraphat, Bangkok's deputy police commissioner, told Thai television.

"Initial reports said almost 100 people were injured. Police and authorities rescued all passengers from the train," Dusitsan said.

Prapat Chongsanguan, governor of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority, said the empty train had just left a maintenance station where it received repairs when it slammed into the crowded rush-hour train carrying some 700 people.

He said officials were still investigating the cause of the accident, but an initial probe indicated that it was caused by computer failure.

Prapat told reporters at the scene that the driver of the empty train had been hospitalized with serious injuries.

Thanyashan Srithongkam, a 38-year-old lawyer, told AFP he was waiting on the platform with the crash happened.

The passenger train had just closed its doors and was still stopped at the platform, he said, adding that the empty train seemed to be going in reverse when they collided.

Passengers reportedly attempted to get out of the train, but there was no emergency exit and it took about 10 minutes for the guards had to find keys to open the doors.

Television footage show people being carried from the station, some of them visibly bleeding.

--The Nation/ AFP 2005-01-17

[WilliamIV]

A Thai friend says that initially the Thai Media were Reporting 100 DEAD !!!!

Did anybody else hear this?

Or is there a Translation problem?

[PvtDick]

Translation problem.

[castelleone]

what do they call it? Murphy`s law?

[george]

Trains crash in Bangkok's new subway, 100 injured

BANGKOK : Two trains on Bangkok's five-month-old subway system crashed during the morning rush hour Monday, injuring around 100 people and forcing authorities to suspend services, officials and witnesses said.

"The accident happened around 9:30 am (0230 GMT) when the train headed to Hua Lam Pong left Thailand's cultural center station and was hit from behind by another train that was empty," police Major General Dusitsan Teraphat, deputy metropolitan commissioner, told Thai television.

"Initial reports said almost 100 people were injured. Police and authorities rescued all passengers from the train," Dusitsan said.

The head of Bangkok's subway system, Prapat Chongsanguan, told Thai television that the empty train had just left a maintenance station where it received repairs when it slammed into the crowded rush-hour train carrying some 700 people.

He said officials were investigating the cause of the accident.

Prapat told reporters at the scene that the driver of the empty train had been hospitalized with serious injuries.

One passenger, Wasita Buranasing, told Thai television that she heard a loud sound before the accident.

"Passengers were trapped inside the train for 10 or 15 minutes before the doors opened," she said in an telephone interview on television.

The train was heavily damaged, with broken handrails and debris tossed about, she said.

Television footage show people being carried from the station, some of them visibly bleeding.

-- AFP 2005-01-17

[Explorer]

Got a call from an office mate who was in the train, now in the hospital.

40 plus admitted in the ICU and 100++ minor injuries ( unofficial report )

According to him one of the beam (don't know which one) collapsed

Explorer

[Dario]

What again is strange (or is it normal?) is that news reporters were barred from entering the station.

[Orion76]

Passengers reportedly attempted to get out of the train, but there was no emergency exit and it took about 10 minutes for the guards had to find keys to open the doors.

Only takes them a split second to find their whistle when you accidentally brush the yellow line with the edge of your foot. They sure have their priorities straight.

[Orion76]

What again is strange (or is it normal?) is that news reporters were barred from entering the station.

If 100 injured people need to be evacuated I doubt it's helpful to have 100 journalists rushing into the station.

[baht&sold]

What again is strange (or is it normal?) is that news reporters were barred from entering the station.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At least that should prevent CNN from doing yet another 'disastor and ditch' report, something like: "Total destruction here in Bangkok as you can see" "Yet another reason to avoid travel to Thailand...now back to you Bob in NY"

[Explorer]

Passengers reportedly attempted to get out of the train, but there was no emergency exit and it took about 10 minutes for the guards had to find keys to open the doors.

Only takes them a split second to find their whistle when you accidentally brush the yellow line with the edge of your foot. They sure have their priorities straight.

BTS and MRT = same same?

i guess the doors they are saying are the sliding permanent ones at the station and not the train doors. Train doors have emergency switch that can be open manually (if it works).

Explorer

[george]

Dozens hurt in Thai subway crash

An injured passenger is carried on a stretcher after the crash.

BANGKOK: -- At least 50 people were injured when two trains collided at a Bangkok subway station, police and eyewitnesses said.

Some of the victims were bleeding as rescue workers carried them up the stairs of the Cultural Center station to ambulances, according to The Associated Press.

Others, dazed and crying, were helped up the stairs to the street.

A rescue worker told Reuters more than a dozen passengers were taken to hospital, while another 20 to 30 people sustained minor injuries.

Officials said a driver on one of the trains was seriously injured and was taken to an intensive care unit.

The accident struck in rush hour, at around 9:30 a.m. Monday (0230 GMT), at the station in the heart of the capital.

It is the first accident on the $2.8 billion single-route 18-station subway that began running in August last year.

It was not clear what caused the crash, but all trains on the line have stopped running, police said.

Bangkok's singe line subway runs for 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) under the traffic-clogged streets of the sprawling city but so far is not very popular with commuters.

It is designed to carry more than 250,000 passengers a day, but only about 100,000 people use it.

The subway is run by the Bangkok Metro Company, a consortium led by property developer Ch Karnchang, and is part of a $7.5 billion, 110-km (68-mile) city-wide transport network aimed at resolving Bangkok's traffic woes by 2011.

--CNN 2005-01-17

[Orion76]

BTS and MRT = same same?

i guess the doors they are saying are the sliding permanent ones at the station and not the train doors. Train doors have emergency switch that can be open manually (if it works).

[misspelt racist comment deleted]

There are instructions inside the MRT trains that show how to open the station doors from the train, there are door handles on the train side.

Edited January 17, 2005 by sabaijai

[Bonkers]

Driving into work at around 9:45 and the Ratchada/Rama 9 junction was functioning fine. Even though there were at least 6 visible ambulances coming in from the Rama 9 hospital - blocked of course, by the 'Me First Drivers'. Ambulance drivers and their assistants were hanging out of their windows imploring drivers to move. To not much avail I noticed. The cop sat in his aircon booth all this while fiddling with his switches.

The ambulances were closely followed by a string of those body-pick-up-trucks.

So I guess (hopefully) the latter convoy were thwarted and there were no bodies to be retrieved.

[Crushdepth]

adding that the empty train seemed to be going in reverse when they collided.

&lt;deleted&gt; ?!?

Computer glitch my arse.

[onethailand]

14:10 - Latest report on MCOT Channel 11 says 139 injured. Police have not yet determined where to lay the blame.

[cdnvic]

Passengers reportedly attempted to get out of the train, but there was no emergency exit and it took about 10 minutes for the guards had to find keys to open the doors.

--The Nation/ AFP 2005-01-17

Good thing there wasn't a fire.

Pretty negligent bunch if they didn't have emergency evac procedures practiced.

cv

[WilliamIV]

BTS and MRT = same same?

i guess the doors they are saying are the sliding permanent ones at the station and not the train doors. Train doors have emergency switch that can be open manually (if it works).

There are instructions inside the MRT trains that show how to open the station doors from the train, there are door handles on the train side.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have travelled quite a few times on the MRT

I do not recall seeing the Instructions for opening

the Station Doors from within the Train ...

Can you say where they are Located?

Every Door or maybe only at the Carriage end doors?

Are the instructions in both Thai & English?

Bill

[Orion76]

I have travelled quite a few times on the MRT

I do not recall seeing the Instructions for opening

the Station Doors from within the Train ...

Can you say where they are Located?

Every Door or maybe only at the Carriage end doors?

Are the instructions in both Thai & English?

I don't remember how many there are on the trains but I have seen them, next to the door. It's a poster with step by step pictures of how to open both the train and the station doors and instructions in both English and Thai.

Maybe they were replaced by advertiser posters and not there this morning...

[chingy_]

not a good sign for future rider

[toss]

Hey Orion76 I think you're getting the BTS & MRT mixed up Old Bean!

None of them Blue Uniformed Whistle Monkey's on this system!!!

[fire and ice]

A Thai friend says that initially the Thai Media were Reporting 100 DEAD !!!!

Did anybody else hear this?

Or is there a Translation problem?

--------------------

Translation problem

My Thai girlfriend came back from shopping at about 11am and turned on the TV saying 100 were dead in a train crash. When she heard the news say 100 injured she said her friend from Bangkok (we're in Hat Yai) rang her to tell her this.

So was the "traslation problem" one of translating thai to thai?? This wouldn't surprise me!! They hear what they want to hear & then tell everybody.....

[taxexile]

just seen a mtr? spokesman on tv trying to explain that the brakes on the empty train were released by the operative contrary to operating procedures and that the train then ran down an incline and hit the train full of passengers. apparently the empty train should have waited to be towed or pushed by another train to wherever it was going

he couldnt be sure yet if it was a fault with the computer that controls the trains brakes , driver error or inadequate training of the drivers.

[caughtintheact]

BTS is the subway company

MRT is the government agency

[chanchao]

1. A cabinet video-teleconference will be organized, during which

the following policies will be agreed upon.

2. There will be a crackdown on under-qualified train drivers.

3. Thailand will become a hub for mass transit logistics excellence.

[lopburi3]

BTS is the subway company

MRT is the government agency

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Believe BTS is the skytrain; not the subway unless they took a wrong turn.

[lannachiangrai]

accident might have something to do with Thaksin pressuring construction companies to get the project finished too quickly. wanted to make himself look good but possibly not enough testing . . . .?

[logpoacher]

Hey! A Thai vehicular accident report that doesn't end with "... the driver fled the scene". Maybe they should make the buses run in tunnels?