Three missing found after Rama 2 overpass collapse tragedy
Three missing people from the Rama 2 overpass collapse have been located after an extensive search.
The incident occurred on the Rama 3 – Dao Khanong – Outer Ring Road construction project, which is situated over the Rama 2 expressway. The collapse resulted in five fatalities and numerous injuries.
As of 3.20pm yesterday, March 15, emergency services reported discovering two bags amidst the debris during their operations.
One bag contained a gold necklace, cash, and identity documents belonging to a Cambodian worker who sustained a lung injury and is currently receiving treatment at Suksawat Hospital.
The other bag belonged to Sitthichai Kesornbua, one of the deceased. The rescue team has collected the items for submission to the police.
The Bang Mod Police have confirmed the total number of casualties: five fatalities, comprising three Thai nationals and two Myanmar nationals.
Police have identified the five dead people as Narathorn Yueakyen, a 39 year old engineer from Pathum Thani; Rujthorn Harasa, a 47 year old project supervisor from Nakhon Ratchasima; Sitthichai Kesornbua, a worker from Nonthaburi; and two Myanmar nationals, Zin Ku Aung and Naing Lin Aung.
Relatives of two deceased Thai people have already contacted the police to obtain the necessary documents, reported Matichon.
Among the 22 injured people who were taken to various hospitals, eight are Thai nationals, 11 are from Myanmar, and three are Cambodian.
Initially, there were concerns about three people who were unaccounted for and not listed among the injured or deceased. However, the police have since located all three, who survived and have returned home.
The investigation into the cause of the collapse is ongoing, with reports indicating that it might not be related to concrete pouring.
Additionally, K-9 units have commenced operations to locate any remaining victims, and workers from the site have shared their experiences of witnessing the steel beams falling, reported KhaoSod.
Original news: Horror on Rama II: Bridge collapse kills 5, injures 20
The death toll from a devastating bridge collapse on Rama II Road has climbed to five, with 20 others injured as emergency crews race to find more victims. The tragic incident, which unfolded in the early hours of March 15, has thrown Bangkok’s infrastructure safety into question.
A loud bang shattered the silence at around 2am, sending a massive section of an under-construction bridge crashing down near Rama II Soi 25 in Bangkok’s Chom Thong district. Police Lieutenant Colonel Suwichak Noi Si of Bang Mod Police Station was alerted, and emergency teams from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, forensic experts, hospital pathologists, and Poh Teck Tung Foundation volunteers were quickly dispatched.
Two additional bodies were discovered buried under tonnes of rubble, adding to the grim toll. The collapsed structure was part of the ongoing Rama III-Dao Khanong expressway project, where more than 30 workers were on-site, pouring concrete onto bridge beams, when disaster struck.
Among the injured victims, 12 men and four women were rushed to hospital. Reports say several workers were left stranded on towering bridge pillars, desperately awaiting rescue. Emergency teams, using search dogs, managed to locate four trapped survivors—two men and two women—pulling them to safety amid the wreckage.
A cement truck driver who was at the scene during the catastrophe described hearing a deafening noise just moments before the bridge gave way, leaving a trail of twisted steel and shattered concrete in its wake.
The collapse severed a major expressway connection, causing chaos in the Bang Mod, Bang Khun Thian, and Chom Thong districts. Officials have urged motorists to avoid the area, warning of severe traffic disruptions.
In response, the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) has announced the temporary closure of the Chalerm Mahanakorn Expressway near Rama II. Alternative routes have been advised, with drivers heading into Bangkok urged to take Suksawat Road towards the Bang Pak Khao intersection to access the Suksawat toll plaza. Meanwhile, those travelling towards Samut Sakhon via the Rama IX Bridge are advised to exit through Suksawat Road before rejoining Rama II Road, reported KhaoSod.
Officials are investigating the cause of the collapse, with urgent questions being raised over construction safety standards on Bangkok’s major infrastructure projects.
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