Passenger with Covid-19 dies on train

An official sprays disinfectant on a special expressway train after a male passenger, who collapsed on the train and later died, tested positive for Covid-19. (Photo taken from @pr.railway Facebook page)

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: The body of a 57-year-old passenger who collapsed and died on a south-bound special express train in Thap Sakae district on Monday night tested positive for Covid-19, an official said on Wednesday.

The positive test was confirmed by the Songkhla provincial public health office, State Railway of Thailand (SRT) deputy governor Voravuth Mala said on the SRT PR Facebook page.

The SRT did not name the passenger, but Thai media reported his name as Anant Sahor, 57, of Narathiwat province.

The SRT deputy governor said the passenger bought a ticket for a second-class air-conditioned carriage on the Thaksin Special Express Train No 37 operating between Bangkok and Hat Yai on March 30. He boarded the train’s car No 4 at Bang Sue railway station en route to Sungai Kolok.

The man developed a cough and vomited during the journey. His condition had apparently improved by the time the train reached Hua Hin railway station, and a team of screening officials from Hua Hin municipality checked his body temperature, which was measured at 36 degrees Celsius. Officials advised the passenger to take a rest at Hua Hin station, but he insisted on continuing his journey.

At about 10.15pm, train staff found the passenger collapsed in front of a toilet. When the train reached Thap Sakae railway station, a local rescue team boarded the train and took the man to Thap Sakae Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight. He suffered from diabetes, but his fluid was sent for Covid-19 tests, which came back positive on Wednesday.

SRT has sent a list of 15 pasengers who were on board the same carriage as the dead passenger to Songkhla public health office and quarantined 11 people, including 2 train staffers at Bang Sue railway station, a security guard, 7 railway staffers working on the special expressway train, and a railway police officer, Mr Voravuth said.

Dr Suriya Khuharat, chief of Prachuap Khiri Khan public health office, said on Wednesday that the passenger had just returned from Pakistan to Suvarnabhumi airport. He underwent screening at the airport, but was not found to have any fever.

Prachuap Khiri Khan governor Pallop Singhasenee said Anant was the 13th Covid-19 infection case in the province, but was the first to die.