Deadly tragedyEmergency workers seen at a site where an elevated road collapsed in the Lat Krabang district near Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The incident killed two and injured 12 others. Authorities say the damage may have been caused by an unbalanced crane and that work will be suspended until there is a safety plan. — AP
Bangkok, July 11, 2023 (AFP) - A second person has been confirmed killed and 12 others injured in the collapse of a road bridge under construction in Bangkok, Thai officials said Tuesday.
The collapse late Monday of a beam system supporting work on a raised bridge trapped several vehicles travelling on the busy thoroughfare in the Lat Krabang district, near Suvarnabhumi international airport.
A video released Monday by the Department of Disaster Prevention showed the structure's sudden fall, raising a cloud of dust, while later videos showed the devastation left in the aftermath of the incident.
Wisanu Subsompon, deputy governor of Bangkok, told a press conference Tuesday the damage may have been caused by an unbalanced crane.
"Work will be suspended until they have a safety plan," he said.
The roadwork is part of a project to build elevated highways in an attempt to ease the city's notoriously congested traffic.
Construction safety standards are lax in Thailand, where accidents are commonplace.
In 2016, at least 13 people were killed when a building under construction collapsed.
The accident had sparked protests from trade unions, who denounced the inadequacy of safety standards and the meagre wages paid to workers on construction sites.
