India, Jan. 14 -- A deadly accident struck northeastern Thailand on Wednesday morning when a massive construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train, causing it to derail and catch fire. At least 22 people lost their lives, and dozens more suffered injuries in one of the country's worst rail disasters in recent years.

The train was traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province when the mishap occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima, about 230 kilometers northeast of the capital. Authorities said rescue operations continued for several hours as emergency teams searched the wreckage for survivors.

The derailment occurred in a semi-rural stretch of the Sikhio district, an area currently undergoing large-scale ...