Bus, taxi, motorcycle drivers rally with vehicles in Caracas to demand Maduro release

Protests continued in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on Tuesday, demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and calling on the international community to provide support to the South American country.

On the day, packs of motorcycles cruised through streets, while buses and taxis carried banners with slogans reading "Free Maduro".

"It is through all of this that we have come to this point. We firmly believe that our President Nicolas Maduro is still exercising full and lawful presidential power in this country. We call on international organizations to intervene, support, and push for the immediate release of our President Nicolas Maduro," said Raul Rivero, a transport worker.

"We demand the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from the U.S. Bolipuertos is here, steadfast and unwavering. Today, more than ever, we reaffirm our support for the president," said Eddie Neriatyaga, an employee of Bolipuertos, the state-owned port operator.

"The U.S. unjustly and forcibly controls President Maduro, blatantly violating all international treaties and international law. I voted for him, the people here voted for him, and we also elected Cilia Flores as a member of parliament. Send our president back," said Udi Daniel Otero, a transport worker.

While protests continue, Caracas is gradually returning to normal, with business and transportation largely resuming operation, and schools reopening.

Venezuelan authorities said that the continuation of daily life is a response to foreign aggression.

Bus, taxi, motorcycle drivers rally with vehicles in Caracas to demand Maduro release

Bus, taxi, motorcycle drivers rally with vehicles in Caracas to demand Maduro release

The death toll from a crane collapse that derailed a passenger train in northeastern Thailand's Nakhon Ratchasima Province has risen to 32, with the number of injured now standing at 67, authorities said on Wednesday.

The accident occurred on Wednesday morning when the construction crane used for a high-speed rail bridge collapsed onto the train traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani Province.

Speaking at a press briefing, Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum said the State Railway of Thailand expects to take approximately seven days to clear the wreckage and restore the track to normal operation while a full investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn earlier told reporters that he has instructed agencies to conduct a transparent, comprehensive investigation to determine the cause and prevent recurrence.

According to Thai media reports, the main contractor for the involved railway section is Italian-Thai Development PLC, which has issued a statement on the accident, saying that the company will fully assume responsibilities related to compensation and medical treatment.

Songrit Yoonsoongnern, a rescuer, said that rescue teams are waiting for some parts of the wrecked train to be moved before continuing operations.

"Right now, we are waiting for the cranes to secure the carriage and the crane above, and to remove some debris that is on the bodies. For safety reasons, we must wait until Italian-Thai Development’s cranes complete the operation and safety is 100-percent assured, before ordering rescue personnel to enter and recover the bodies," he said.

32 killed after crane collapse derails train in Thailand