Landslide at pipe installation site claims 2 lives in South Thailand
A landslide during a pipe installation in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat claimed the lives of two workers and injured another.
Officers from Khanom Police Station investigated the fatal accident at 2.30pm yesterday, March 17, at a construction site on Pu Chao Saming Road in the Khanom district of Surat Thani. Upon arrival, officers encountered the landslide at a dirt hole approximately 3 to 5 metres deep.
The hole had just been excavated to lay a water pipe when the dirt wall collapsed, burying two Thai men who were working inside. Another worker lost consciousness during the incident and was rushed to hospital before the police arrived.
The two dead workers were later identified as 48 year old Worrapong Suwankaew and 31 year old Kritsada Phetcharak. The injured victim was identified as 30 year old Apiwat Boonmusik.
Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Governor Somchai Leelanoi assigned the deputy governor to investigate the cause of the landslide and arrange compensation for the victims’ families. Officials also visited Apiwat in hospital, though the report did not provide an update on his condition.
Another fatal accident at a pipe installation site was reported last month in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima, where two workers were killed due to a landslide.
A similar incident occurred in Chon Buri in September last year, when a Cambodian worker was buried under dirt while digging by the roadside to lay a pipe. Fortunately, rescuers managed to retrieve him from the heavy mud and rushed him to the hospital in time.
Workers are not the only victims of accidents at drainage construction sites. In July last year, a motorcyclist in Pattaya sustained injuries after falling into a pipe installation hole. The site lacked safety measures, including warning signs and lights.
The motorcyclist managed to climb out of the hole unaided but his motorcycle was damaged and submerged in water at the bottom of the excavation.
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