Report says driver of deadly Thai train crash fell asleep

BANGKOK: A deadly train crash last week near a beach resort in Thailand was the fault of the driver who fell asleep after taking antihistamines and other cold medicine, the head of a fact-finding panel said yesterday.

The Bangkok-bound train derailed October 5 near the coastal city of Hua Hin, killing seven people and injuring 88. About a half-dozen of the train's 16 cars derailed in a twisted heap after the train jumped the tracks during an overnight trip from the southern city of Trang.

"The driver admitted that he dozed off because he took medication for fever and allergies," said State Railway of Thailand deputy governor Pakorn Tangjetsakao, who headed a fact-finding panel.