Another crane collapses near Bangkok, killing two, after fatal rail accident in Nakhon Ratchasima
A crane collapsed onto an elevated Bangkok highway, killing two, day after a launching gantry crane derailed a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 32.
Overview
A launching gantry crane fell onto a moving passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima, derailing three carriages; officials reported at least 32 dead and dozens injured as wreckage was removed.
Search-and-rescue at the train site ended Wednesday night; authorities said 171–195 passengers were aboard, three listed missing were presumed to have disembarked, and investigations continue.
On Thursday a separate crane collapsed on the Rama 2 Road expressway extension in Samut Sakhon, trapping vehicles; rescue teams reported two deaths and multiple injuries amid dangerous debris.
Italian-Thai Development (Italthai) is named as a contractor on the rail project and linked by officials to the Rama 2 works; authorities are collecting evidence and have not pressed charges.
The incidents have renewed scrutiny of construction safety on major projects tied to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, following prior collapses and indictments in Thailand.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the incidents as part of systemic construction-safety failures by emphasizing contractor ties and past collapses (Italthai, prior tunnel and State Audit Building disasters) and referencing Belt and Road links. Editorial choices—selective emphasis on indictments and 'notorious' project history—create an accountability narrative, while witness quotes provide vivid source detail.
Sources (8)
FAQ
A launching gantry crane used in the construction of a Chinese-backed high-speed rail project collapsed onto the train, derailing three carriages and causing a brief fire.
At least 32 people were killed and 66 injured out of 195 passengers on the train.
Both incidents involve cranes collapsing one day apart; the train incident was linked to Italian-Thai Development on a rail project, which is also associated with the Rama 2 Road expressway works.
The Rama II Expressway, nicknamed 'Death Road,' has seen multiple deadly accidents, including a concrete beam collapse in March last year killing several, and a crane collapse in November 2024 killing at least three workers.
It is a Chinese-backed high-speed rail project connecting Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima and eventually to China via Laos, with over a third of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima segment completed.
History
4 sources