Bangkok crane catastrophe claims engineer’s life and injures Burmese workers

A crane collapse at a construction site within Srinakharinwirot University in the Asoke neighbourhood of Bangkok resulted in the death of a Thai engineer and caused injuries to two Burmese workers. The crane operator fled the scene amid the tragedy.

Thong Lor Police Station officers rushed to the construction site at 4pm yesterday together with the rescuers and medical professionals. The crane collapse occurred on the balcony on the third floor of an under-construction hall.

On the balcony, officers found a broken crane toppled over 38 year old engineer Thitiphon Rattana-arpa. Although rescuers worked diligently to free him from beneath the crane and administer initial aid, tragically, Thitiphon succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

The identities of the two injured Burmese workers have not been disclosed but they sustained minor injuries and were promptly taken to Police General Hospital for medical attention.

The crane operator, responsible for the operation that ended in disaster, fled the scene immediately after the accident. Authorities are now questioning other workers to understand the root cause of the catastrophic event. According to initial reports, the crane was being used to transport a load of cement from the ground floor to the third-floor balcony when its cable suddenly snapped, leading to the fatal collapse onto Thitiphon.

Police announced their intention to summon the crane operator for further questioning and initiate a thorough investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. Pending the outcome of the investigation, charges may be filed against both individuals and the company overseeing the construction project.

A similar accident was reported in Bangkok three weeks ago. In the incident, a metal plate fell from a crane at a bridge construction site. One Thai man lost his life in the incident while another two victims were injured.

In February, a Cambodian worker was killed in a crane collapse at a huge construction site in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok while two other Cambodian workers were injured at the scene.

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