Konkoita railway accident
In the railway accident Konkoita on February 1, 1947 from crashed Thai Transport Minister Momluang Kri Detchatiwong used railcar into the gap on the Thailand-Burma Railway , which is a bridge collapse in Konkoita ( Thai กอง กุย ตะ , literally. Kong Kuita ) had left. The minister and one of his company were killed.
Starting position
Political circumstances
Great Britain considered the Thailand-Burma Railway , built by the Japanese during World War II , as spoils of war and property after the war . It was initially administered by the Dutch lieutenant colonel Karel Adrianus Warmenhoven , who had recently been freed from the Changi prisoner of war camp . He left a report on the Konkoita railway accident. On the Thai side, the route was driven irregularly to Prang Kasi ( Thaiป รังกา สี ). Many Thais took advantage of this to settle along the railway in previously sparsely populated areas. The route thus gained importance as an infrastructure for inland colonization . In order to maintain control of the route, the Thai government bought the inland section from the British government in October 1946 for £ 1,250,000 (then: 50 million baht ). The purchase price was then transferred in six half-yearly installments between January 1947 and January 1949. On October 17, 1946, the line was handed over to Thailand.
Technical conditions
The route was a construction site beyond Prang Kasi . The route inspections, which are mandatory for routes in operation and must be carried out at least daily, therefore did not take place there. There was no operational telephone or telegraph line accompanying the route.
The inspection drive
Since the purchase of the route was politically motivated, its current technical condition did not play a major role in the purchase. Nonetheless, the political leaders in Bangkok were already interested in what they had bought there. That is why the responsible minister, Momluang Kri Detchatiwong, urged a complete tour of the route. The minister was himself a railway engineer. The railway administration advised against an inspection trip due to the poor condition of the facility. Ultimately, the administration could no longer ignore the minister's urge to see the route for himself and only postpone the route tour until the end of January 1947.
The minister used a special train that was pulled by a diesel locomotive. He was accompanied by the director of the Royal State Railways , the predecessor organization of today's Thai State Railways , and other top officials from the state and railway administration. The special train left Bangkok on January 30, 1947 and reached Kanchanaburi that evening , where the group stayed overnight. The destination on January 31st was Prang Kasi , a trip that normally took 3½ to 5 hours. However, the special train was on the move for 19 hours because the locomotive had several defects that had to be fixed because a replacement locomotive was not available. When the train finally arrived in Prang Kasi at 1 a.m. , the minister decided to spend the night on the train and continue the journey early in the morning of the next day, as he was determined to go to the Three Pagoda Pass . He ignored the concerns of those responsible for the railway.
the accident
The route behind Prang Kasi had not been used since January 28, as it was not in use but a construction site. In order to ensure the safety of the minister's special train, it was decided to have a motorized trolley drive ahead as a “pilot machine”. The special train should follow with a safe distance. At 9:00 a.m., the pilot and special train left Prang Kasi station . Just an hour later, the diesel locomotive of the special train broke down again with a technical defect. The minister then decided to cover the remaining 50 km with the motorized trolley that was previously used as a pilot. This only had twelve seats. However, 22 people drove along, including on the roof of the vehicle and on its outside.
At kilometer 262, about 500 meters from Konkoita train station , there was a curve in a cut in the terrain, after which the route led directly to a bridge. Like most of the bridges along the route, it was made of wood and previously burned down and collapsed. Only the track still hung over the valley that had been bridged. After the driver understood the situation, the remaining braking distance was too short to stop the vehicle. Some of the fellow travelers outside, who also grasped the situation, jumped off. The vehicle and the other travelers fell about 8.5 m at around 11:30 a.m.
consequences
The minister and at least one other person he was accompanying were killed. Some were seriously injured, including the director of the state railway. There was no means of communication from the scene of the accident. Apparently no one at the exit station at Prang Kasi was concerned about why the special train didn't return by evening.
Some Karen appeared at the scene of the accident who built shelters for the injured and collected firewood and returned to their village in the evening. The firewood didn't even last all night. The group didn't dare to fetch new ones because they were afraid of tigers. The special train did not arrive until the next morning - the diesel locomotive has meanwhile been repaired - and made it possible to return.
Since not only the bridge burned down at the scene of the accident, but also the next one, but the route was not used - i.e. an ignition caused by flying sparks from a steam locomotive could be ruled out - an act of sabotage by locals was suspected. The poor condition of the line caused the Thai side to finally dismantle the track from Nam-Tok to the pass of the three pagodas .
literature
- BR Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia . White Lotus Co Ltd, Bangkok 2010, ISBN 978-974-480-157-9