3 year old Thai girl injured in Pink Line MRT liquid cement incident

A family of three narrowly avoided tragedy when liquid cement from a Pink Line MRT construction site spilt onto their sedan on Saturday. The incident damaged the car and caused injuries to a three-year-old girl.

A Thai mother Saichol Charawatchala, shared the distressing account of her and her children’s experience on Facebook on Saturday, March 30. Saichol recalled that she and her two children were returning home after attending the Disney on Ice show at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok.

While passing under the Mueang Thong Thani MRT Station construction site, an object struck her car, causing damage to both the front and rear wind widescreens.

Saichol glanced back to check on her children in the rear seat, only to find them in tears. The rear windscreen had collapsed onto them, leaving them covered in shattered glass, while liquid cement had splattered across the front windscreen, rendering it impossible for her to continue driving. Thankfully, a traffic policeman promptly arrived to assist her, guiding her to safely park the car at the side of the road.

With the help of a rescue team, Saichol’s two children were taken to hospital. Saichol noted that the tempered glass windows prevented more serious injuries: Her son escaped unharmed while her three year old daughter sustained a minor head injury.

Saichol included a picture of her damaged BMW 520d in her post. The rear windscreen was cracked and there was a hole in the rear windscreen. Dried liquid cement covered the roof and bonnet of the car.

Seven-day suspension

A rescuer, Chanin Sa-ard, told Matichon that he did not see any Pink Line MRT management investigate the scene on the day of the incident. Construction workers were observed cleaning the spilt cement from the road but refused to provide any details to the rescue team, saying their manager did not allow them to speak.

Saichol yesterday, March 31, shared an update that MRT management visited her at her home to offer an apology. They assured her that they would cover the repair expenses for her car and arrange for a replacement vehicle during the repairs.

The incident prompted Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit to suspend construction for seven days to investigate the cause.

Suriya announced that a point deduction system would be applied to the construction company for the Pink Line MRT. If the company loses too many points, it will lose a chance to work on future infrastructure projects.

This incident marks the third major accident involving the Pink Line MRT. The previous incident occurred in December of last year when a 3-kilometre track collapsed, damaging three cars passing underneath a station in the Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi province.

Another incident occurred in September of last year when the unfinished MRT Pink Line caused Chaeng Wattana Road to collapse. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in these previous incidents.