Bangkok Woke Again to the Sound of Sirens.
Two people were killed after a construction crane collapsed onto a highway in Samut Sakhon, a suburb on the edge of the Thai capital. Cars were crushed beneath the falling structure, dust hanging in the air as traffic came to an abrupt halt. The crane had been part of an ongoing expressway project. The incident came barely a day after a separate and deadlier collapse in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, where a crane fell onto a moving train, killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 60 others. Together, the back-to-back accidents have renewed sharp focus on safety failures within Thailand’s construction sector. Footage circulating online captured the moment the Samut Sakhon crane gave way, slamming onto the highway and leaving twisted metal scattered across the road. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but for two motorists there was no escape. Both construction sites are being handled by the same firm, Italian Thai Development, one of the country’s largest builders. The company is already under scrutiny for its role in multiple high-profile projects. Figures from local authorities suggest around 150 people have been killed over the past seven years in accidents linked to a major road improvement project stretching south from Bangkok. The expressway where Thursday’s collapse occurred has earned a grim nickname among locals, Death Road. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government would address what he described as negligence in construction practices following the latest incidents. The State Railway of Thailand has confirmed it is pursuing legal action against Italian Thai Development over the train crash. The company was also responsible for a Bangkok skyscraper that collapsed during an earthquake last March, a failure that stood out in a city where no other buildings fell.
| 2026-01-15 07:55:48