A second catastrophic crane collapse in as many days has claimed two more lives in Thailand, with both incidents linked to the same major construction company, Italian-Thai Development. The latest disaster occurred on Thursday on the Rama II Expressway outside Bangkok, casting a grim shadow over the nation's infrastructure safety standards.
A Nation Reels from Repeated Tragedy
Shocking dashcam footage from Thursday's incident captured the moment a massive crane toppled, unleashing clouds of dust and rubble across the busy highway. Several vehicles were seen swerving and reversing in a desperate attempt to avoid the falling debris. The collapse on the Rama II Expressway, a vital artery linking the capital to Thailand's south, resulted in two fatalities.
This tragedy came less than 24 hours after a separate, even deadlier collapse. On Wednesday, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, a huge launching gantry crane operated by Italian-Thai Development fell onto a moving passenger train. That derailment killed 32 of the nearly 200 people on board, marking one of Thailand's worst rail accidents in years.
Government Vows Action as Public Fear Grows
Thai Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn directly linked Italian-Thai Development to both disasters, prompting a fierce governmental response. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced his government would terminate contracts with the contractor responsible for the two projects and initiate legal proceedings.
'It has happened three or four times by one contractor. The government is not comfortable letting this kind of company work for the government,' Anutin stated, adding the firm would be blacklisted. The nation's rail operator has already ordered Italian-Thai to halt all construction pending a full investigation.
The consecutive disasters have instilled deep fear among locals. Motorcycle-taxi driver Booncherd La-orium, 69, said he no longer felt safe in the area. 'I had goosebumps just thinking about how risky it is to be here. It could have happened to me,' he told reporters. Surachai Wongho, a 61-year-old retiree, echoed the sentiment, urging the government to act: 'It's the same incident happening over and over again in Thailand. It's time for the government to do something.'
A Troubled Record on 'Death Road'
The Rama II Expressway project, long nicknamed 'Death Road' due to a history of fatal accidents during its expansion, has been plagued by issues. In March, a concrete beam from an elevated roadway collapsed on the same road, killing several people. Another crane collapse on the route in November 2024 claimed at least three workers' lives.
In a note to Thailand's stock exchange, Italian-Thai Development expressed condolences for Thursday's victims and promised compensation, as it did for Wednesday's tragedy. The company pledged to 'review and improve safety measures'. However, this assurance follows a series of deadly accidents at its sites in recent years.
At the site of Thursday's collapse, construction workers milled around the wreckage, while relatives of the victims visited to mourn in silence. The crane was left hanging precariously from the giant concrete pillars intended to support a future high-speed rail line—a joint Thailand-China endeavour that now faces intense scrutiny over its construction safety protocols.
