Construction crane collapses in Thailand: two fatalities were recorded

Two fatalities were recorded after a construction crane collapsed onto a highway in Thailand, just one day after another crane accident elsewhere in the country claimed 32 lives. The latest incident occurred in Samut Sakhon, a suburb of Bangkok. Video footage captured the moment the crane crashed into the road, smashing several vehicles and sending up thick clouds of dust and debris.

The previous day, a crane fell onto a moving train in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, injuring more than 60 people. Both construction projects were being managed by Italian-Thai Development, one of Thailand’s largest construction firms.

On Thursday afternoon, Italian-Thai Development released a statement to the Thai stock exchange offering its “deepest condolences” to those injured and to the families of those who lost their lives. The company said it would take full responsibility for compensation and had begun assessing the damage while it pledged to strengthen and improve safety measures in the future.

These tragedies have once again highlighted how common and deadly construction accidents are in Thailand, often linked to poor enforcement of safety rules. Around 150 people have been killed over the past seven years during road improvement works between Bangkok and southern Thailand. The expressway where Thursday’s crane collapse occurred had even earned the nickname “Death Road” due to a series of past accidents.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he would act over negligence in the construction sector following Wednesday’s disaster. He stated that he had ordered the transport ministry to cancel contracts with Italian-Thai Development, blacklist the company, and pursue legal action.

The State Railway of Thailand has also announced it is suing the company. After Wednesday’s train accident, Italian-Thai Development expressed regret and promised compensation to the families of the victims.

The firm was also responsible for building a Bangkok skyscraper that collapsed during an earthquake last March, even though no other buildings in the city fell. Following that incident, the company’s president, along with several designers and engineers, was charged last year with professional negligence.