Rescuers recover second victim after crane collapse on Rama II Road

Emergency workers and engineers, using two heavy cranes and cutting equipment, managed last night to extract the body of a victim trapped in his crushed car, buried under tonnes of concrete slabs and the steel structure of a fallen crane at the construction site of the Rama II–Samut Sakhon elevated expressway in Samut Sakhon province.

An emergency official said that efforts to recover the victim, identified as Sarawut Wechakarn, from the crushed vehicle were hampered by road subsidence, which forced the operation to be temporarily suspended for safety reasons.

After working throughout the night, rescuers eventually reached the deceased.

All traffic lanes on Rama II Road, in front of the Paris Hotel, have been closed, leaving only the parallel roads open.

The official said it may take up to two weeks to clear the main road of the fallen concrete slabs and crane structure and reopen it to traffic.

Motorists have been advised to use alternative routes to avoid heavy congestion.

Two people were killed when a crane being used in the construction of the elevated expressway project crashed onto their cars yesterday morning.

The body of the first victim, Sompong Srisook, a resident of Phetchabun province, was recovered from his vehicle yesterday.

Following the accident, the Highways Department ordered construction work on this and several other projects being undertaken by Italian-Thai Development Plc to be stopped immediately, pending a review of the company’s safety standards.