BANGKOK (REUTERS, AFP) - A bus heading to a Buddhist temple collided with a train in central Thailand on Sunday (Oct 11), killing at least 20 people and injuring 30, authorities said.

The accident took place at 8:05am (9:05am Singapore time) near the Khlong Kwaeng Klan railway station 63 km east of Bangkok, said Maitree Tritilanon, governor of Chachoengsao province, where the crash occurred.

A tour bus carrying some 60 factory workers on their way to a Buddhist ceremony at a temple was crossing a railway track when it was hit by a freight train headed to the capital from the east of the country.

The bus was flipped on its side its side and the top ripped off, with debris and metal scattered around the accident area, images from rescue workers showed. The train remained on the rails.

Governor Maitree said the crossing has an alarm but does no barrier to block traffic when a train is coming. He said the province will install speed bumps and barriers as well as cut down trees near the crossing to improve visibility.

Such deadly accidents are common in Thailand, which regularly tops lists of the world's most lethal roads, with speeding, drunk driving and weak law enforcement all contributing factors.

According to a 2018 report by the World Health Organisation, Thailand has the second-highest traffic fatality rate in the world.

Though a majority of the victims are motorcyclists, bus crashes involving groups of tourists and migrant labourers often grab headlines.

In March 2018, at least 18 people were killed and dozens wounded when a bus carrying people returning from a holiday in north-eastern Thailand swerved off the road and smashed into a tree.