The Institute of Forensic Medicine has confirmed the identities of four victims killed in the fatal train-bus collision at the Makkasan railway crossing on Saturday.
Pol Maj Gen Wirun Supasinghsiripreecha, commander of the institute at the Police General Hospital (PGH), said on Tuesday forensic officials had successfully verified the identities of four bodies and forwarded the information to Makkasan police station for further coordination with relatives.
He said the institute's role was limited to confirming biological relationships through DNA analysis, while families would need to provide additional information to investigators before the bodies could be officially released.
Four other bodies are still undergoing identification procedures, he said, as authorities continue waiting for DNA samples from relatives.
Authorities said relatives from seven of the eight affected families had already submitted DNA samples, but investigators could not yet confirm whether every sample matched the victims. Officials stressed that family members must proactively contact the institute if they suspect a relative may have been involved in the accident.
The institute said one family linked to a missing victim has still not come forward.
The Ruamkatanyu Foundation said it has prepared to transport victims' bodies back to their home provinces free of charge once forensic authorities approve their release.
Meanwhile, police investigators continued questioning survivors and railway personnel as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the collision.
Of the 14 injured victims initially scheduled for questioning, two were interviewed on Sunday, and nine more were expected to provide statements on Tuesday. Authorities are also seeking to question three foreign nationals involved in the crash.
Investigators are also gathering evidence from railway staff and reviewing surveillance footage from three monitoring towers containing a total of 24 cameras. Some cameras were found to be malfunctioning, prompting investigators to recover additional footage for further analysis.
Authorities are examining the actions of both the freight train driver and the railway crossing personnel leading up to the collision.
Police declined to disclose details from questioning conducted with the train engineer, saying the information could affect the legal case and potentially influence witness testimony. Toxicology test results for the engineer are still pending, including if operational procedures were followed.
