A construction worker was killed and another one badly injured when a sling broke, causing the basket of a crane suspended in the air to collapse on Rama II Road in Bang Khunthian district of Bangkok on Thursday.
The incident happened at the under-construction elevated road near Soi 72 heading towards Kanchanaphisek Road in the Samae Dam area at 1.27pm, rescue workers said.
The dead worker was identified as Wiphak Phromprasong, 44, and the injured worker was Theeraphat Khannok, 24.
Suchart Tongteng, a rescue worker with the Ruam Katanyu Foundation, told Thai media that he rushed to the accident site after being alerted and found two workers with serious injuries. However, one died on the spot and the other was seriously hurt and rushed to a hospital.
The crane operator, whose name was not released, reportedly said the basket carrying Wiphak and Theeraphat was being lifted into place so that they could change hydraulic shock absorber fluid in the unit used for lifting steel beams.
While the two workers were inside the basket, they did not phone or indicate any abnormalities in the crane or the basket, said the operator. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, like an object hitting the ground.
When the operator ran out to check, he found a sling connected to the crane had broken and the two workers had sustained injuries. He immediately alerted a rescue team.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit expressed his condolences to the family of the dead worker. He also ordered a three-day halt to construction so that the contractor can determine what caused the crane sling to break and inspect machinery at the site to ensure safety, said Kritchanon Aiyapanya, a ministry spokesman.
The minister also ordered the Department of Highways to set up a fact-finding committee to look into the incident.
A rescue worker points at the fallen crane basket. (Photo: Ruamduay Chuaykan rescue Facebook)
The construction of the expressway over Rama II Road has been beset by safety problems and accidents.
In May last year, a construction worker was killed and four cars damaged when a slab of concrete fell on the road from the under-construction expressway.
In July 2022, a five-tonne, 10-metre-long concrete beam collapsed and fell onto three passing vehicles on the same road off the U-turn bridge, killing two people and injuring five others.