At least two dead, 12 injured after under construction Bangkok highway collapses
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The massive metal girder on the Lat Krabang Tollway construction project crumpled to the ground.
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BANGKOK - At least two people have died after a huge construction girder over a busy road collapsed in the Thai capital Bangkok, with videos of the terrifying incident rapidly shared online.
The massive metal girder on the Lat Krabang Tollway construction project to the east of the city crumpled to the ground late on Monday afternoon, catching pedestrians and drivers unaware.
It is part of a project to build elevated highways in an attempt to ease the city’s notoriously congested traffic.
In a video shared by the country’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, the enormous metal platform – connected to unfinished parts of the highway – wobbles and then plummets to the earth.
An official at the Krabang district office, Mr Chatchaya Kamjan, said the first victim was killed instantly when the segment collapsed.
He said the second victim was found by the Search And Rescue team when they inspected the site.
“The injured were rushed to the nearest hospitals for medical treatment,” he said.
The two were an engineer and a construction worker, according to Thai media.
An initial investigation found that a crane that was lifting the four lane concrete road segment overturned, leaving the section to hurtle down to the ground, The Bangkok Post reported.
Twelve other people were injured, with many vehicles crushed, a building damaged and several power poles toppled.
A clip shared online by a rescue worker shows the aftermath of the collapse, with sirens blaring as shocked residents and bystanders survey the damage.
The wrecked girder – and much of the under-construction highway it also brought down – can be seen blocking the street.
Rescue workers swarmed over the debris, with crushed vans and cars just visible. As night fell, rescuers could still be seen among the rubble.
Thailand has a poor construction safety record, with accidents a common occurrence.
In 2016, at least 13 people died after a building caved in during construction.
The incident brought renewed protest from labour groups, who had long warned about lax safety standards and low wages at Thai construction sites. AFP
