A construction crane and concrete beam collapsed during the construction of an expressway in the Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand, on Thursday. Two people were killed and several others injured after a concrete beam fell from an overhead launcher, crushing two vehicles passing below, according to local police. Photo by Narong Sangnak/EPA
A crane collapsed on an expressway in Bangkok, Thailand Thursday killing at least two people, the second fatal crane-related incident in consecutive days.
Construction has been stopped in Thailand due to the back-to-back days of fatal accidents as the government investigates.
Thursday’s crane collapse happened in the Samut Sakhon Province in the southwest outskirts of Bangkok. Construction crews were working on an elevated expressway meant to connect Bangkok to Thailand’s southern provinces. The expressway is closed for construction.
After the crane collapsed, a portion of the elevated expressway collapsed to the ground, crushing two vehicles below.
On Wednesday, a crane collapsed onto a moving train in the Nakhon Ratchasima Province, killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 60.
A construction crew was working on a high-speed rail bridge when the crane fell, derailing the moving train.
Italian-Thai Development is the contractor in charge of both construction sites. It is one of the biggest construction companies in Thailand.
“The company will review and improve safety measures to be more thorough and stringent, moving forward,” the company said in a statement Thursday.
Italian-Thai Development may face legal action, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.
“This has happened multiple times and it’s the same contractors,” Anutin said. “I don’t think the state would want this company to continue working.”
The same company was in charge of a building project last year, where 90 people were killed when the building collapsed following an earthquake. Twenty-three people were charged in the collapse and their cases are ongoing.
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