Human error blamed for Bangkok road beam collapse tragedy which five people and injured 22 others
Exat gives findings on ring road probe
Human error has been identified as the primary cause of the beam collapse on the under-construction Rama III–Dao Khanong–Outer Ring Road Expressway on March 15, according to the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat).
The incident, which killed five people and injured 22 others, occurred near the Dao Khanong toll plaza on the Contract 3 section of the expressway project, which spans five kilometres from Bangpakok 9 International Hospital to the toll plaza.
The contract is part of a larger expressway initiative, being carried out by a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc and Vichitbhan Construction Co, valued at approximately 7.3 billion baht.
A fact-finding investigation, led by the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT), concluded that the design and construction adhered to engineering standards. The ground at the site had not subsided, and the steel used met quality requirements.
The collapse, it said, was caused by human error during the construction process, rather than any technical or structural flaw.
The findings were submitted to Exat Governor Surachet Laopoolsuk, who is expected to forward them to Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit by the end of this week or early next week, according to a source.
Documents will also be sent to the police for further investigation and legal proceedings, said the same source. Although the contractor is liable for damages, Exat clarified that it cannot take legal action unless the contractor abandons the project, under current laws.
However, once Exat’s contractor performance tracking system is introduced, such incidents will be recorded in a logbook that may influence future project eligibility, said the source.
A new committee will be established to assess financial losses and determine compensation. The loss of toll revenue due to the closure of the inbound lanes for nearly a week and the outbound lanes for almost a month is expected to amount to roughly one million baht per day.
The committee, including financial and legal experts, will complete its evaluation within two weeks, the source said.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, a motorist travelling into Bangkok on Rama II Road reported that chunks of concrete fell onto their vehicle, cracking both the front and rear windscreens.
The driver was unhurt.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3032156/human-error-blamed-for-bangkok-road-beam-collapse-tragedy.
