Services Disrupted As Padang Besar-Hatyai Rail Line Is Struck By Homemade Bomb

By Lara Lindemann  •  05 Dec 2022 in News

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Services provided by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) between Hatyai and Padang Besar were interrupted on Saturday (December 3) after the rail line was bombed by unidentified persons.

According to sources, the bombing happened close to the Khlong Ngae train station in Sadao, Thailand. They claimed that the strike, which happened at around 2 p.m., caused a cargo train coming from Hatyai to veer off course.

The approximate distance from Padang Besar to Khlong Ngae station is 23.3 kilometers.

No individual nor group has taken culpability for the blast as of yet. On the line, SRT services are still not operational.

The Bangkok Post claimed that the incident is being looked into by Thai officials. According to sources, the rail line also may need to be shut down for a number of days as repairs are made to the tracks and investigations are conducted.

There were reportedly 20 cars on the cargo train that were involved in the incident, 11 of which swerved off the rails. Despite having four employees on board, none were hurt in the accident.

Izizam Ibrahim, the Perlis executive council member in charge of border relations and cooperation confirmed that “no Malaysians were involved in the incident involving a cargo train carrying rubber commodities.”

He also noted that no passenger trains were affected in the incident.

Officials say that the explosion was triggered by an improvised, or homemade, explosive device. Thai authorities believe that the blast may have been the work of insurgents who wanted to deter tourists and hinder economic development.

Netizens have also expressed a similar view regarding the matter, noting that insurgency has remained prevalent over the years and that it was not the first time an incident of this sort occurred.

On August 28 2021, at 12:25 p.m., a bomb detonated on train No. 986, which was travelling from Sungai Kolok to Bangkok. The explosion occurred between the stations of Pa Phai and Tan Yong Mat in Narathiwat’s Rangae district.

After the blast, one carriage was the target of gunfire.

There were no casualties, but the train and the rail track were substantially wrecked. While track repairs were being handled, the incident abruptly stopped all train operations in the area.

On the 31st, the special freight train resumed its services.