In a suburb near Bangkok, Thailand, a construction crane incident occurred today (15th) resulting in the deaths of 2 individuals. Thai officials stated that the construction company involved in the incident is also connected to a crane accident the previous day that claimed 32 lives. The construction company has close ties to the Chinese state-owned enterprise, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC Group). The origin and brand of the crane that caused the tragedy have not been disclosed.
According to the Thai police, on Thursday morning (15th), a construction crane component collapsed on Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon Province, leading to the deaths of two individuals and injuring five others.
Reports from the Bangkok Post indicate that the collapsed crane also struck two cars driving below it.
Footage verified by Agence France-Presse (AFP) shows a scene of chaos as the large crane toppled, sending up clouds of dust and debris, causing multiple cars to stop or reverse to avoid the falling fragments.
This incident marks the second fatal crane collapse in Thailand in two days. Acting Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stated that both fatal crane accidents within two days are related to the Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD).
ITD is responsible for constructing a section of a high-speed railway project in Nakhon Ratchasima province with Chinese investment. The January 14 incident at this construction site involved a large crane dropping, causing a passenger train below to derail, resulting in nearly 32 fatalities among the train’s approximately 200 passengers and injuring over 60 individuals.
The high-speed rail project between Thailand and China aims to connect Bangkok, Cambodia, and Kunming, China, expected to be completed by 2028, representing a significant project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia.
The construction contracts for the 14 joint projects between Thailand and China include the ongoing construction of the Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima section. China Railway Construction Corporation (CREC) and ITD are the two main contractors involved in the project.
While Thailand is responsible for the investment in civil engineering for the project, incorporating Chinese railway technology, the design and engineering consultancy work for the civil engineering is handled by the Chinese side. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has expressed the intention to hold the contractors, designers, and consultants accountable for the accidents.
According to BBC and Thai media reports, the crane that fell onto the tracks belonged to the 3rd to 4th section of the first phase of the project, being constructed by ITD, which simultaneously holds contracts for two other sections of the project, one of which is in a joint venture with a subsidiary of CRCC Group.
The precast beam girder crane used for bridge construction is under the responsibility of ITD, as reported by the Bangkok Post.
Currently, there is no available information regarding the origin and brand of the crane involved in the accidents. Speculation within the industry suggests that due to the heavy reliance on Chinese technology and equipment supply chains in Belt and Road projects, the crane is likely of Chinese origin, possibly from well-known brands like XCMG or Sany commonly used in similar projects, though this remains unconfirmed.
ITD maintains a close relationship with China Railway Construction Corporation, specifically with its subsidiary overseeing the project. The collapse of the Bangkok Twin Towers, a joint project between the two entities, during the earthquake that affected Myanmar and Thailand last year, resulting in 95 fatalities, raised concerns about the safety of China’s Belt and Road projects.
Chinese-American economist Li Hengqing told NTD Television that over the past few decades, China has faced numerous quality issues in various sectors such as real estate development, bridge construction, railway projects, tunnel excavations, and dam constructions due to a prevalence of counterfeit and substandard materials. Many construction projects have cut corners to maximize profits, leading to compromised quality and potential large-scale problems in the future.