PM set on cancelling construction contracts, alarmed by fatal accidents

Construction giant Italian-Thai in the crosshairs

As fire erupted at the site of the crane collapse on Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insisted that state agencies must cancel  contracts with the company responsible for a series of accidents during construction of elevated transport routes.

A brief fire occurred on Rama II Road while workers were removing debris from the collapse site on Tuesday morning.

It was reported that as workers were cutting free a wrecked pickup truck, sparks ignited the fuel remaining in the tank. The truck was also carrying a load of inflammable styrofoam.

Prime Minister Anutin said the fire showed that safety had not been improved at the project site. He wanted the Department of Highways and the State Railway of Thailand to revoke two contracts signed with the construction company, which he did not name.

However, Italian-Thai Development Plc is building the elevated expressway above Rama II Road in Muang district of Samut Sakhon and also the elevated high-speed railway bridge in Sikhiu district of Nakhon Ratchasima, where a gantry crane collapsed on top of a train as it passed below, killing 30 people and injuring many more.

“I told the Department of Highways, the State Railway of Thailand and the Ministry of Transport to ignore contractual conditions. Action can be taken under administrative laws because it is danger to the public,” Mr Anutin said.

The gantry crane was working on an overpass being built for the high-speed railway. It fell onto an express train.

The crane collapse in Samut Sakhon killed two people and closed the frontage road. 

Deputy Prime Minister Bowornsak Uwanno said the attorney-general would find ways to revoke the contracts and sue the contractor for damages.

At Government House on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anutin witnessed the payment of compensation to the relatives of those killed in Nakhon Ratchasima. The State Railway of Thailand gave each family 340,000 baht and Dhipaya Insurance paid out one million baht in each case.

“On behalf of the government, I extend condolences to the families and relatives of the deceased… This tragedy caused great loss to the country and broke the hearts of people nationwide,” Mr Anutin said.

In Sikhiu district, Nakhon Ratchasima, Italian-Thai Development workers removed the remainder of the crane from the collapse site, completing the task around noon on Tuesday. State railway workers then began repairing the 36 metres of damaged rail track. 

State railway workers begin repairing the damaged track in Nakhon Ratchasima on Tuesday. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)