At least five people were killed and 22 others injured when a concrete beam of an under-construction expressway bridge near Rama II Road in Chom Thong district of Bangkok fell early on Saturday.
Bang Mod police were alerted to the incident near Rama II 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 22 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.
Nearby Chom Thong Road was closed in all directions due to ongoing rescue operations.
Engineers and police were investigating the cause of the collapse.
Compensation and investigations
The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) announced on Saturday that the contractor responsible for the project would pay at least 1 million baht each to the families of the deceased.
Local media quoted Exat governor Surachet Laophulsuk as saying the agency would pursue legal action against the ITD-VCB joint venture, which was awarded the third contract for the Rama III-Dao Khanong-Western Outer Ring Road expressway project.
The joint venture consists of Italian-Thai Development Plc and Vijitphan Construction. The construction work was being carried out by Asian Engineering Consultants Ltd, Chotichinda Consultants Ltd and MAA Consultants Ltd.
“Exat has ordered the contractor to stop working for 14 days to urgently conclude the investigation to find the cause (of Saturday’s accident,” he said.
Mr Surachet said the agency hoped to reopen the Chalerm Mahanakhon Expressway at the inbound Dao Khanong checkpoint within seven days. Repairs to the outbound side heading to the Dao Khanong interchange are expected to take about 30 days.
Debris removal will be a challenge, according to engineers. It needs to be carefully planned to ensure the correct sequence, as structures are leaning against each other.
Amorn Pimanmat, president of the Thailand Structural Engineers Association, said it was too early to determine the exact cause of the bridge collapse.
However, based on photographs, it appears that the failure occurred at the cross beams located at the top of the columns, with multiple spans collapsing in succession.
Rescuers search for survivors in the rubble following the collapse of a concrete beam from an under-construction expressway bridge near Rama II Road in Bangkok on Saturday. (Photo: Khuean Khan News Centre)
Chronic problem
Rama II 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 II hurts tourism, as local and foreign visitors 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 frequent mishaps and road closures have caused even more congestion, especially on weekends and long public holidays.
Previous construction accidents on Rama II 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 this year, there have been over 2,500 accidents on Rama II Road from km 0 to km 84, resulting in 143 deaths and 1,441 injuries.