A second deadly crane incident has rocked Thailand a day after 32 people were killed when a crane derailed a train outside of Bangkok. Both have been linked.
A highway construction crane has collapsed killing two people near Bangkok on Thursday, just one day after another crane failure led to a train derailment that killed 32 people in Nakhon Ratchasima, northeast of the Thai capital.
Dashcam footage of the moment shows the enormous crane falling at the under-construction Rama II Expressway in Samut Sakhon province, outside Bangkok.
Clouds of dust and rubble are unleashed as several vehicles pull over or reverse to avoid falling debris.
Two people have been confirmed dead and another five have reportedly been injured in the incident which one Thai minister has linked to Wednesday’s train tragedy.
Dashcam footage shows the moment a huge crane collapses in Thailand, the second in two days. Picture: Courtesy of Facebook user Real Champ / AFP
The same construction firm, Italian-Thai Development, involved in Thursday’s crane collapse was also contracted to build a section of a China-backed high-speed rail project where another huge crane fell on Wednesday, derailing a passenger train below and killing 32 of the nearly 200 people on board.
“Yes, it is Italian-Thai. I still do not understand what happened,” Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, told local media.
“We have to find out the facts, whether it was an accident or something else,” he said.
The company – one of Thailand’s biggest construction firms – has seen several deadly accidents at its sites in recent years.
Two people were killed and five injured when a crane collapsed on the Rama 2 Road elevated expressway in Samut Sakhon province, Thailand on Thursday. Picture: AP Photo/Arnun Chonmahatrakool
The same construction firm has been linked to both collapses. Chanakarn Laosarakham / AFP
Rescue worker Sutthiwat Thanomsat told AFP he arrived at the scene of Thursday’s incident shortly after the crane crashed down, and witnessed the aftermath of a pickup truck driver killed by the impact.
“Injured people were taken to a local hospital,” he said.
The Rama II Expressway, a main artery linking the capital to Thailand’s south, hosts several major infrastructure projects, including tollway construction.
Construction work has been underway for years to expand the road’s capacity and reduce congestion but the project has been beset by delays and fatalities, earning it the nickname “Death Road”.
Surachai Wongho, a 61-year-old retiree who drives on Rama II every day, said he is haunted by the thought that one day he could be hurt in an accident.
“It’s the same incident happening over and over again in Thailand. It’s time for the government to do something,” he told AFP.
In March, a concrete beam forming part of an under-construction elevated roadway collapsed on Rama II, killing several people.
A crane collapse in November 2024 killed at least three workers, while local media reported two more deadly accidents in May 2023 and January 2024.
Train tragedy kills 32
The incident on Thursday followed the crane collapse in Nakhon Ratchasima, northeast of the capital Bangkok, one day earlier.
A train derailed in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Wednesday after a massive crane collapsed, killing 32. Picture: Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP
The transport minister said investigations are ongoing. Picture: AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
One of Thailand’s deadliest rail accidents in years, a massive launching gantry crane, used by Italian-Thai in the construction of a high-speed rail project, collapsed Wednesday morning onto a passenger train below.
The health ministry said 32 people were confirmed dead, three were missing and 64 were hospitalised including seven in serious condition.
In Nakhon Ratchasima on Thursday, construction workers milled around the scene, snapping photos of the wreckage, as relatives of victims visited the site to mourn and pray in silence.
The crane was still hanging off giant concrete pillars, built to hold up the future elevated high-speed rail line – a joint Thailand-China endeavour.
Italian-Thai expressed condolences on Wednesday, and promised to compensate the victims’ families and cover medical expenses for the injured.
The nation’s rail operator said it ordered Italian-Thai to halt construction until an investigation was completed.
Transport Minister Phiphat said Wednesday that all parties involved would be held accountable, including Italian-Thai and a Chinese consultancy company.
– with AFP
