Overpass construction collapse in Bangkok claims two lives, injures 12

Two people died and 12 were injured after an overpass abruptly collapsed in Lat Krabang district, Bangkok. Currently, those wounded are under constant medical supervision in nearby hospitals.

His Majesty the King, demonstrating his kindness, compassion, and deep concern for his subjects’ well-being, has extended his condolences to those left grieving by the unfortunate incident and has offered his best wishes for the swift recovery of the injured.

The calamity took place on a project site overseeing the construction of the elevated road from On Nut to Lat Krabang, a critical link intended to enhance the region’s connectivity and alleviate traffic issues. The fateful mishap proved deadly when the box segment structure of the bridge fell during a tension cable pull operation. The event’s impact caused the launcher, a blue steel component stationed at the bridge’s zenith, to lose stability and come crashing down onto the bridge structure near columns 83 and 84.

The state of disrepair brought about by this event has potentially jeopardised this section of the bridge. However, the root cause is still under investigation and requires validation by the Engineering Institute of Thailand. In the meantime, the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) will move quickly to take down the structure so that traffic can resume. This should be done within three days.

While there is an active quest to understand the full extent and cause of the incident, the BMA has prioritised restoring normalcy to the area. For this, personnel were deployed swiftly to start cleaning operations at the accident site. The BMA commits that within three days, the structure’s removal will be carried out to an extent that traffic movement can safely resume.

A critical member of the construction project was the company hired to conduct the work, a special-tier contractor as per their listing with the Comptroller General’s Department.

Such ranking necessitates that contractors should have a track record of experience in similar construction undertakings, with a minimum contract value equating to US$15 million per contract. Going forward, we are taking steps to ensure that our approach to contractor selection focuses more on quality. This will involve beefing up the process with improved measures and qualifying assessments.

In related news, a husband and wife recounted their miraculous survival after a road bridge collapse. After hearing a loud noise, their vehicle hit. Their car broke down, forcing them to flee as debris fell on the roof. Read the full story HERE.