Construction crane collapses on Rama 2 expressway near Bangkok, killing at least two

A construction crane collapsed onto an expressway on the outskirts of Bangkok on Thursday, killing at least two people, an official said. The accident occurred in Samut Sakhon Province and was the second fatal crane episode in Thailand in as many days. It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse.

Crews were building an elevated section of the motorway that is not yet open to traffic, and photos and videos posted on social media showed parts of the elevated structure caving to ground level after the crane fell. The collapse crushed two vehicles, The Nation reported; rescue workers were on scene, and it was not immediately clear if there were any survivors.

Authorities in Samut Sakhon did not answer repeated calls. The contractor of the expressway, Italian-Thai Development, was also the firm in charge of a construction site where, a day earlier, a crane fell on a moving passenger train in northeastern Thailand, killing at least 32 people, officials and reports said.

Italian-Thai Development did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Thailand’s transport minister, Phipat Ratchakitprakarn, said Thursday’s accident occurred when the construction site was not supposed to "be active," and he said the government must consider halting similar construction sites to review safety measures.

Key Topics

World, Italian-thai Development, Samut Sakhon, Bangkok, Phipat Ratchakitprakarn, Construction Safety