Thailand has been struck by yet another deadly construction accident, as two people were killed when a crane collapsed on the outskirts of Bangkok, just one day after a separate crane disaster claimed 32 lives in the northeast of the country.
The latest incident occurred on Thursday in Samut Sakhon province, where a crane being used in the construction of a major highway fell onto the road below, according to police officials. Colonel Sitthiporn Kasi, a supervisor at the local district police station, confirmed the fatalities to Reuters, while another officer stated that five additional people were injured.
Thailand’s Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn revealed that the same construction company was involved in both deadly accidents. Local media identified the firm as Italian-Thai Development, which is also contracted to build part of a China-backed high-speed rail project.
Just a day earlier, on Wednesday, a massive crane collapsed in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast of Bangkok, killing 32 people. That crane was reportedly being used to construct an elevated rail track when it fell onto a moving train, causing it to derail and briefly catch fire.
Local reports said Thursday’s crash happened in front of the Paris Inn Garden hotel, along a stretch of road notorious for fatal incidents. The highway is currently hosting multiple large-scale infrastructure projects, including a toll road, and has earned the grim nickname “The Road of Death” due to repeated deadly accidents over the years.
Authorities are now under increasing pressure to investigate safety standards and oversight within Thailand’s booming infrastructure sector, as public concern grows following two catastrophic crane collapses in less than 48 hours.
