Fatal crane collapse on Rama II Road

SAMUT SAKHON — A launching gantry crane and precast concrete segments collapsed on Rama II Road early Monday morning, resulting in six deaths and eight injuries.
The collapse occurred on the outbound side of Rama II Road at the construction site of the Ekkachai – Ban Phaeo Intercity Motorway 82 (M82) section in tambon Khok Krabue at 4.13am.
Initially, four construction workers were reported dead and 10 others injured. However, the number of fatalities has since risen to six.
The deputy governor of Samut Sakhon, Voranat Nurod, confirmed that the latest victim, Suthat Bunruang, 31, was declared dead at Samut Sakhon Hospital.
The five other deceased included 30-year-old Thai national Apiwat Phaphanthang, who died at the site, and four Myanmar workers, two of whom are missing and feared dead, according to Mr Voranat.
Eight injured workers are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
The deputy governor said the families of the deceased victims will receive 860,000 baht each, and the injured will be entitled to medical treatment rights from the Social Security Fund, with financial compensation to be provided by the construction firm that employed them.
A foreman reported that many workers fell when the concrete segments collapsed, and a total of 25 workers were rescued from the site.
Samut Sakhon governor Naris Niramaiwong urged motorists to take detours due to heavy traffic congestion in the area.
“We will speed up clearing the site to resume traffic on Rama II Road promptly,” Mr Naris said.
The expressway lanes of Rama II Road were fully closed, while some frontage lanes remained open on both sides. Highway police advised motorists to use Phet Kasem and Borommaratchachonnani roads as alternatives. 
Three mobile cranes were dispatched to the scene to remove debris, with their arrival expected at 1pm.
Engineers and police were investigating the cause of the collapse, which authorities suspected was due to an overloaded girder. 
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her “deepest condolences” in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying the government would set up a committee to investigate the incident.
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 tourists 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 the frequent mishaps and road closures have caused even more congestion, especially on weekends and long public holidays.
Previous construction accidents have resulted in fatalities. One of the accidents took place on Jan 18 when a sling broke, killing a worker and causing the crane’s lifting basket to fall. In May last year, a worker was killed by a falling concrete slab.
In March, a crane collapse at a factory in Rayong resulted in the deaths of seven construction workers.