Construction worker critically injured in Purple Line subway site accident
A tragic accident occurred today at the construction site of the Purple Line subway on the Suriya Theatre side of Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Road, Bang Yi Ruea, Thonburi. A steel beam fell on a construction worker around 8.50am, causing severe injuries. The injured worker was promptly rushed to Taksin Hospital by the Po Tek Tung Foundation.
The accident took place at the left side of the construction site for the Purple Line subway, occupying about three lanes of traffic. Blood stains were found near the wheel of a large crane where the incident occurred. Locals reported that the accident happened when construction workers were lifting three large steel beams. When the beams were approximately 12 metres high in the air, they tilted and slipped from the ropes, causing one beam to fall on the left side of the road, and two on the right, near the traffic lanes. One construction worker was hit on the head by a beam and sustained critical injuries, reported Sanook.
Locals have noticed the construction of this subway line for more than a year, with periodic loud noises throughout the day. While they acknowledged a certain sense of fear and concern, they had never witnessed such an incident before today. Representatives from the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare and insurance company officials visited the accident site today to conduct an investigation. They questioned Cherdsak Saenkheun, the crane operator at the time of the accident, who revealed that the three beams that fell were being lifted from an underground pipe for storage above ground. While being lowered to the ground, the clamp holding the three beams broke mid-air, causing the beams to fall horizontally, hitting the crane wheel and a sign made of steel beams. This led to the injuries of a foreman who was standing beside the crane.
