Bridge collapse in Narathiwat claims one life, injures three
A bridge collapse in Narathiwat province’s Chanae district tragically resulted in one fatality and three injuries as a vehicle and motorcycle were crossing. The collapse was attributed to damage to the underwater support structure caused by last year’s floods, which was still awaiting repair.
At 5.45am today, March 19, Phichit Rungprasert, the district chief of Chanae, was informed by the village head of Ban Ai Bue Tae, Mueang subdistrict, that the Ai Bue Tae bridge had collapsed. Emergency services, including district defence volunteers, local leaders, soldiers, and village health volunteers, rushed to the site to assist those affected.
They found a green Toyota pickup truck without a license plate with its front wheels stuck between the bridge’s second and third sections.
A spare tyre hung on the collapsed section, and a black Honda motorcycle lay 3 metres away, both having fallen into the approximately 5-metre-deep Ai Bue Tae canal below. The injured and deceased were promptly taken to Chanae Hospital.
The deceased was identified as 27 year old Aman Jehma. The injured included 31 year old Waeismae Ma, who suffered a right thigh injury; 19 year old Marawi Malironae, with head wounds, a sore right arm, and a grazed left knee; and 30 year old Asree Yuso, who experienced chest pain and a knee injury. Aman’s family has been contacted to arrange religious rites in Si Sakhon district.
Officials inspected the bridge, which spans 120 metres in length and 7 metres in width, comprising four sections of 30 metres each. Three of these sections had sunk, along with two of the five support pillars, into the canal.
Bridge collapse
The bridge had been operational for over 30 years and was damaged by the strong currents during flooding from November 26 to November 29, last year. The damage to the piles was invisible to the naked eye due to the water flow.
The Deputy Director of Narathiwat Highways, Wanlop Jindapetch, explained that the collapse was due to water undermining the bridge’s piles, leading to an accident in three sections. The bridge was slated for restoration under a 2024 central budget but the accident occurred before work commenced.
Temporary closures and diversions will be implemented near Baan Ai Bue Tae, and efforts will be made to remove the vehicles involved.
Phichit noted that the accident occurred as dawn approached. Waeismae and Asree were travelling in the pickup truck to a garden, while Aman, who was driving the motorcycle, and Marawi, his passenger, were heading to a logging site in Sukhirin district.
Both vehicles were crossing the bridge when it suddenly collapsed, resulting in Aman’s death and injuries to the other three from the impact, reported KhaoSod.
In response, Phichit has ordered inspections of all bridges in flood-affected areas within their jurisdiction to prevent future accidents.
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