Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has announced a two-week suspension of work on a city motorway following a crane collapse on Rama II Road that resulted in six fatalities and nine injuries.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:13 AM on the elevated Ekkachai-Ban Phaeo Intercity Motorway 82 (M82) in the Khok Krabue sub-district of Muang district, Samut Sakhon. Initial reports indicate that a launching gantry crane collapsed, causing precast concrete segments to fall. At the time of the accident, 39 workers were on site, with a foreman noting that many were struck by falling debris.
Among the six deceased, four were from Myanmar while two were Thai citizens. Authorities are actively investigating the circumstances leading to the collapse.
Minister Suriya extended his condolences to the families of the victims and acknowledged that the distressing event has eroded public confidence in the safety of large infrastructure projects.
In response to the incident, the ministry has ordered a 14-day halt to construction and instructed the contractor, Udomsak Cheingmai Co., to compensate the families of the deceased with 1 million baht each. Additionally, the Department of Highways (DoH) has been tasked with evaluating the safety of other structures at the site during the investigation.
An investigation team, comprising members from the Council of Engineering and the Engineering Institute of Thailand along with highway engineering specialists, has been given a 15-day timeframe to deliver their findings to the Transport Ministry. Minister Suriya stated that if the contractor is found to be grossly negligent and responsible for the fatalities, they will be barred from bidding on contracts for one year.
Furthermore, the Comptroller-General’s Department is developing measures to penalize contractors who repeatedly fail to adhere to safety and quality standards. Contractors whose negligence leads to fatalities in three state projects will face a ban on competing for state concessions nationwide and may be permanently eliminated from the list of qualified bidders.
The crane collapse created significant traffic congestion, resulting in a backup of over 10 kilometers on one of the busiest routes out of Bangkok during Friday night rush hour.
In related news, Pornpisut Bunsiri, assistant director of the Samut Sakhon disaster prevention and mitigation office, reported that the body of an 18-year-old Myanmar national named Peao Koko was recovered from the wreckage at 6:15 AM on Saturday, marking the final fatality, which brings the total to six—four Myanmar nationals and two Thais. Additionally, nine other individuals were injured in the incident, with four already discharged from the hospital.
