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At least two people were killed when a construction crane collapsed on a busy road near the capital Bangkok on Thursday. The second such accident occurred in Thailand Within 48 hours.
The latest incident occurred in Samut Sakhon on the outskirts of the Thai capital when a crane used to build an elevated highway fell onto Rama II Road, one of the main roads connecting Bangkok to the south, police said.
Two vehicles were crushed, killing two people and injuring at least five others, police said. Rescue teams cordoned off the area as investigators examined the wreckage.
The latest accident intensifies scrutiny of safety standards for major national infrastructure projects.
The country’s acting transport minister told bangkok post The construction work in both incidents was carried out by the same company. “Yes, it’s Italian-Thai. I still don’t understand what happened,” Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn told the newspaper on Thursday when asked about the Rama II incident. He was referring to the Italian-Thailand Development Company Limited.
“We have to get to the bottom of it, whether it was an accident or something else.”
A day earlier, a crane at a high-speed rail construction site in Nakhon Ratchasima province fell onto a moving passenger train, killing 32 people and injuring at least 66 others, authorities said.
The accident derailed a train traveling between Bangkok and Ubon Ratchathani and prompted a nationwide investigation into construction practices on major transportation projects.
Thursday’s collapse adds to a growing list of fatal construction accidents, particularly along Rama II Road, which has been the scene of several serious accidents over the past year.
In April 2025, an engineer was killed when a concrete slab fell from an elevated structure onto his pickup truck while driving under the same highway project. Weeks later, further casualties were narrowly avoided when a fallen cable damaged several vehicles on the route.
Thai media and safety experts are increasingly questioning why accidents continue to occur at large government-backed infrastructure projects despite repeated warnings.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul asked the State Railway of Thailand to be held accountable after Wednesday’s train accident and said those responsible must be held accountable. Police said they are gathering evidence and considering criminal charges.
He asked why high-speed rail project contractors were not blacklisted despite similar accidents occurring frequently.
The successive tragedies have stoked public outrage and reignited debate over safety oversight, contractor liability and the enforcement of building standards in Thailand.
The company, one of Thailand’s largest construction companies, has been involved in a number of fatal accidents at its sites in recent years. The Italian-Thailand Development Company said it would take “full responsibility” for Wednesday’s accident and “provide full compensation and medical care” to the families of the victims and the injured.
Authorities said investigations into both incidents are ongoing and preliminary findings are expected in the coming days. Transport officials have promised a review of safety procedures at major construction sites.
Currently, traffic is still disrupted in parts of Rama II Road, and the families of the victims are preparing for funerals.
independent Italo-Thailand Development Co Ltd has been contacted for comment.
