New Zealander dies after falling off Death Railway train

KANCHANABURI: A New Zealand tourist fell to his death from a train while taking photos of the scenic route of the Death Railway on Tuesday.

Sai Yok police received a report that a passenger fell from the train as it was passing Krasae Cave around 11.50am.

Police and rescue volunteers arrived at the scene and found the passenger's body 8 metres below the track.

He was identified as Patrick Ward, 45, from New Zealand, Sai Yok police chief Pol Col Puchong Narong-in said.

Witnesses told police that the tourist took the train from the River Kwai station in Muang district to Nam Tok station in Sai Yok district. 

As the train moved at a very slow speed on the Death Railway's renowned wooden railway bridge, the man opened a train door to take pictures but he suddenly slipped and fell from the train, according to the witnesses.

Trains move slowly on the 400-metre wooden railway bridge, so passengers can enjoy the view of the River Kwai before reaching Tham Krasae station. 

Police said the tourist's body had been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Police General Hospital in Bangkok for an autopsy, and the New Zealand embassy in Bangkok had been informed.

The infamous Death Railway, stretching for 415km from Ban Pong in Ratchaburi to Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar, was built by Japan-held prisoners of war in 1943 to support its forces during World War II. Around 304km of the railway was located in Thailand. The site has now become a popular tourist destination in Kanchanaburi province.