Three workers injured in central Thailand construction collapse
Three workers were seriously injured in a devastating incident that unfolded yesterday at a water gate construction site in the Phutthamonthon district of Nakhon Pathom province. A concrete beam collapsed, trapping three workers under the debris. It took a half-hour rescue operation before the victims could be freed. Two of the workers sustained severe injuries, while another suffered minor injuries. Local authorities are currently investigating the cause of the collapse.
The construction site is part of the Thawi Watthana canal project, spanning the border between Bang Yai district in Nonthaburi province and Phutthamonthon district in Nakhon Pathom province. The design features three water gate channels, each approximately 6 meters wide and rising about 15 meters from the ground. Workers had completed pouring wet concrete into two of the channels, starting from the Nonthaburi side.
When pouring concrete into the third channel, situated in Phutthamonthon district, tragedy struck. The beam workers were standing on, smoothing the freshly poured concrete, suddenly gave way. Three workers plummeted to the ground as the beam and the iron scaffolding, laden with wet concrete, crashed down upon them, making immediate rescue impossible.
Emergency services, including officers led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Suchada Saengchai and Police Major General Serithakan Janthaduang, head of the Phutthamonthon Police Station, as well as the Po Tek Tung Foundation’s rescue team, rushed to the scene. After 30 minutes of intense effort, the rescue team successfully freed the trapped workers. Two of them were critically injured and immediately transported to Phutthamonthon Hospital for urgent care.
Surin Panpreecha, a volunteer with the Po Tek Tung Foundation and one of the first responders, reported that upon arrival, he found two workers completely submerged in the collapsed concrete, with the scaffolding adding to their entrapment, while the third worker had managed to escape the debris.
The crane operator, who was responsible for transporting the concrete to the site, witnessed the beam collapse and the workers’ subsequent fall. He noticed the scaffolding buckling moments before the disaster.
Local council president Suthat Phuduang inspected the site alongside the responsible authorities and stated that the construction project belonged to the Nonthaburi Provincial Irrigation Department. He suspects that the scaffolding’s inability to support the weight of the concrete beam led to the collapse. Observations showed adjacent scaffolding leaning, indicating potential structural failure. However, a definitive cause will only be determined following further inquiries with the overseeing construction engineers.
