Huge concrete slab falls onto Bangkok’s Rama II Road killing construction worker

A huge slab of concrete fell from the under-construction expressway elevated over the Rama II Road yesterday in Bangkok, Thailand, crushing a construction worker to death, injuring another person and damaging eight cars.

At 5pm, officers at Tha Kham Police Station were informed that a concrete beam fell and killed someone along the outbound Rama II Road opposite the Snake Shrine in Samae Dan subdistrict, Bang Khun district.

Police found a concrete beam 3 metres wide by 10 metres long weighing several tonnes lying in the middle of the busy road.

The beam crushed to death 54 year old Worawut Pannon, a construction worker from Nong Bua Lamphu province.

Eight cars, four on the inbound road and four on the outbound road were damaged. One man, 40 year old Sumeth Kirimek, said he was driving back from Hua Hin when he suddenly swerved to avoid being hit by the falling slab. His tyre burst, his windshield shattered and his car roof was dented.

He complained that no officials arrived at the scene for almost two hours.

Governor of the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT), Surachet Laopoolsuk, said…

“I received a report at 4.17pm that in front of the Index Living Mall on the Rama II Road, there was an accident whereby the steel holding of the structure collapsed causing the beam to fall to the ground, resulting in one worker’s death and injuring another. The project staff are in the process of coordinating damages. The contractors are fully responsible.

“The incident occurred in the second contracted area of the under-construction elevated expressway project on the Central Rama 2 – Bangpakok 9 Hospital – Rama 3 – Dao Khanong Outer Ring Road Expressway route, which is a CTB Joint Venture comprised of the construction contractors China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., Tipakorn Company Ltd., and Buriram Thongchai Construction Company.

“Initially, construction work will cease for seven days for an investigation into the incident’s true cause to take place and for safety to be inspected in detail.

“EXAT must express our condolences toward the deceased and apologise for this incident. EXAT has always emphasised the highest level of safety and will implement added measures to avoid a repeat of this incident.”

However, motorists do not trust that this incident will not be repeated given the Rama II Road’s notorious history.

In July last year, a motorists’ dashcam footage revealed the moment a heavy steel beam down landing metres in front of a pickup truck which was flung into the air when it collided with the beam. Luckily no one was hurt.

Later that month, a U-turn bridge collapsed over the Rama II Road, falling onto four vehicles and killing two people. One passenger died at the scene and a construction worker who fell from the bridge later died in hospital from their injuries. Two more people were injured.

In August, an iron bar fell onto the bumper of a car on the Rama II Road. The car was damaged but the driver was unharmed.

On Facebook, one netizen commented, “I’m scared to leave the house.”