Aerial footage shows the wreckage of a train that was crushed when a crane plunged onto the carriages, killing at least 32 passengers in Thailand on Wednesday.

The locomotive was taking hundreds of locals and tourists - including a German and Korean - from the capital Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima province when the construction equipment plunged onto the tracks. It had been working on the concrete supports for a high-speed rail line running above the existing route

Passengers screamed as the vehicle smashed into the metal, and more debris landed on the carriages. Several of the cars were derailed in the crash at around 9 am local time in the Ban Thanon Khot district of Nakhon Ratchasima.

Police and paramedics arrived at the scene, where they treated injured passengers. Many were trapped inside the mangled carriages.

Officials confirmed 32 passengers had been killed and at least 66 others injured, with eight in a critical condition.

Holidaymakers Friedrich Wilhelm, from Germany, and Kim Yongho, from South Korea, were among the fatalities, which also included a one-year-old and an 85-year-old. Many tourists had left the train at earlier stops on the busy route.

Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Anuphong Suksomnit confirmed that the search operation concluded at 9pm on Wednesday evening after officers and sniffer dogs found no remaining bodies inside the wreckage.

Police Major General Narongsak Promtha, commander of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police, said officers had questioned the crane operator, who was not injured and was able to give evidence about the cause of the incident.

The police chief added: 'Legal action against the construction contractor would depend on the evidence gathered during the investigation.'

The State Railway of Thailand said it would provide 40,000 baht in funeral expenses for each deceased victim and an additional 40,000 baht in compensation, along with assistance in transporting the bodies.

Police said the service involved was the Special Express Train No. 21 (Bangkok–Ubon Ratchathani), which had left the capital a few hours earlier.

Victims were taken to the Sikhio Hospital, Sung Noen Hospital, and Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phipat Ratchakitprakarn said that the Governor of the State Railway of Thailand would be ordered to 'thoroughly and comprehensively' investigate the cause of the accident.