WEB DESK: A crane accident near Thailand’s capital on Thursday resulted in the tragic loss of two lives and damage to two vehicles, just a day after a similar incident in the northeast derailed a train and caused the deaths of 32 passengers.
Thailand’s transport minister revealed that Italian-Thai Development PCL, the construction firm whose crane fell onto the train tracks in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, was also involved in Thursday’s accident near Bangkok.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, gearing up for a general election next month, announced steps to cancel two contracts with ITD tied to the projects involved in both incidents. He also promised strict legal action against the firm.
In a statement to reporters, he confirmed that the Transport Ministry has been directed to terminate the contracts, pursue all possible legal measures, and blacklist the contractor. In addition, Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said about a dozen active ITD state-related construction projects have been paused for review by the government.
Established in 1958 by Italian and Thai partners, Italian-Thai Development PCL issued a statement soon after the prime minister’s remarks, affirming its accountability for providing care, compensation, and remedies for losses caused by both accidents. The company pledged to strengthen its safety protocols to achieve stricter standards moving forward.
The latest accident occurred in Samut Sakhon province during construction of an elevated highway. A crane fell onto the road below, crushing two cars, with local police reporting two fatalities and two injuries.
This marks another in a string of deadly construction accidents in Thailand, several connected to Italian-Thai Development. One notable disaster last year involved the collapse of an unfinished tower in Bangkok during a 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which killed over 89 people and led to negligence charges against 23 individuals.
Disturbing images from Thursday’s site depicted a crumpled green crane and massive chunks of concrete smashed into vehicles below, while video footage from Thai Rath captured cars hurriedly reversing to avoid the wreckage amid rising dust.
Thailand, currently experiencing rapid infrastructure expansion—including elevated highways, high-speed rail projects, and an expansion of Bangkok’s elevated rail network—has increasingly relied on large-scale construction.
HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECTS
Authorities are continuing their investigation into Wednesday’s fatal train accident. Of the 195 passengers aboard, 32 were killed, and 66 sustained injuries when a crane used for constructing elevated high-speed rail structures collapsed onto an existing train line.
The high-speed rail project aims to connect Thailand to China via Laos. The government reported last year that over one-third of the segment from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima had been completed, with the entire line up to Nong Khai at the Laos border expected to be operational by 2030.
