Two Dead in Thailand After Second Deadly Crane Accident a Day Earlier

A crane collapsed onto a highway close to Thailand’s capital on Thursday, crushing two autos and killing two individuals a day after the same accident within the northeast brought about the derailing of a practice and the deaths of 32 passengers.

Thailand’s transport minister stated building agency Italian-Thai Improvement, whose crane fell onto the practice in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province a day earlier, was additionally concerned within the crane accident close to Bangkok.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakulwho faces a common election subsequent month, stated on Thursday that his authorities is shifting to cancel two contracts with ITD involving the 2 accident-hit initiatives, and vowed authorized motion in opposition to the agency.

“The Ministry of Transport has been instructed to terminate the contracts with the contractors, pursue all authorized motion out there, and place them on a blacklist,” he informed reporters.

The federal government has additionally ordered a pause to round a dozen lively ITD building initiatives involving the state and put them below assessment, transport minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stated.

Italian-Thai, based in 1958 by Italian and Thai companions, stated in an announcement shortly after the prime minister’s remarks that it accepts duty for offering care, compensation, and treatments for the losses incurred in each incidents.

“The corporate will assessment and strengthen its security measures to make sure stricter and extra complete requirements going ahead,” the ITD assertion to the Thai inventory alternate stated.

Sequence of Deadly Development Accidents

Thursday’s incident came about in Samut Sakhon province, the place the crane, which was being utilized in constructing an elevated freeway, fell onto the highway beneath and crushed two vehicles, in accordance with native police, who stated two individuals have been additionally injured.

It was the newest in a sequence of deadly accidentsat building initiatives in Thailand, a number of involving Italian-Thai, together with the collapse of a partially-built Bangkok tower final 12 months that killed a minimum of 89 individuals throughout a 7.7-magnitude earthquake and led to fees of negligence in opposition to 23 individuals.

Photos from the scene on Thursday confirmed a mangled inexperienced crane and big items of concrete that had crushed the autos beneath. Video from information outlet Thai Rath confirmed vehicles reversing to keep away from the wreckage amid a cloud of mud from the collapsed concrete.

Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second-biggest financial system, has been present process important infrastructure growth, from elevated highways and high-speed rail traces to main enlargement of its elevated rail community in Bangkok.

Excessive Pace Rail

Authorities stated an investigation into Wednesday’s accident within the northeast was ongoing.

In addition to the 32 fatalities, 66 of the 195 passengers on the practice have been injured after a crane concerned in constructing constructions for an elevated high-speed rail mission collapsed onto an present practice line beneath.

The cross-country high-speed rail mission will hook up with China via Laos. The federal government stated final 12 months that greater than a 3rd of building had been accomplished within the phase connecting Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, with the entire line to Nong Khai on the border with Laos prepared by 2030.

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Further reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Orathai Sriring; writing by Martin Petty; enhancing by David Stanway and Toby Chopra)

{Photograph}: Rescuers elevate the wreckage of the practice after a building crane fell onto a passenger practice in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photograph/Sakchai Lalit)