Five killed, 27 injured in beam collapse on Bangkok’s Rama 2 Road
At least five people were killed and about 27 others injured when a concrete beam of an under-construction expressway bridge near Rama 2 Road in Chom Thong district, Bangkok, fell early on Saturday.
Bang Mod police were alerted to the incident near Rama 2 Soi 25, close to the Rama III-Dao Khanong expressway, around 1.48am.
According to reports, a concrete beam under construction, located about 200 metres from an expressway entrance, collapsed onto an existing expressway structure, resulting in multiple injuries and confirmed fatalities. More than 20 workers were at the site during the collapse.
Rescue teams and officers from the Bangkok Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department rushed to the scene to locate and assist survivors in the rubble, using sniffer dogs and specialised equipment.
As of 7am, five workers were confirmed dead, and at least 27 others were injured.
Rescue efforts continued as four victims were recovered from the debris, and another body remained missing. The five deaths included three Thai nationals (one engineer and two workers) and two foreign workers.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals.
A worker at the scene reported hearing loud noises from the structure before it gave way while concrete was being poured to connect columns.
The nearby Chom Thong Road was closed in all directions due to ongoing rescue operations.
Engineers and police were investigating the cause of the collapse.
Rama 2 Road is the main and most direct road connecting Bangkok with the southern region, including the resort town of Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Government officials agree that congestion on Rama 2 hurts tourism, as local and foreign tourists often opt for other destinations to avoid traffic jams.
The construction of an expressway above the road from Bangkok to Samut Sakhon is intended to cut travel time, but delays in the work and the frequent mishaps and road closures have caused even more congestion, especially on weekends and long public holidays.
Previous construction accidents on Rama 2 Road have resulted in fatalities. One of the accidents took place on Nov 29 last year when a sling broke, resulting in six deaths and eight injuries. Another accident took place on Jan 18 last year when a sling snapped, killing a worker and causing the crane’s lifting basket to fall. In May 2023, a worker was killed by a falling concrete slab.
According to the Department of Highways, from 2018 to March 15, there have been over 2,500 accidents on Rama 2 Road from km 0+000 to km 84+041, resulting in 143 deaths and 1,441 injuries.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2980458/five-killed-27-injured-in-beam-collapse-on-rama-2-road
