Victim had just arrived to pick up wife when canopy collapsed

The man killed in the collapse of a concrete canopy attached to a century-old commercial building in Bangkok's Samphanthawong district yesterday had just arrived to pick up his wife when the accident occurred. He was the only person killed in the collapse.

The incident happened near the Mo Mi intersection on Rama IV Road, close to Traimit Withayaram Temple.

The collapse killed the man, identified only as Prawit, 76, and damaged several vehicles.

As he was walking into the premises, a cracking sound was heard before the concrete canopy collapsed onto him.

No one else inside the building was injured, although the victim's vehicle and another car belonging to Prawit's brother-in-law, Sanan, were damaged.

Police said the area was closed to traffic to allow emergency services and engineers access to the site.

A joint command centre has been established with the Samphanthawong District Office to coordinate recovery operations and assess the structural safety of nearby buildings.

A resident living near the scene said she initially thought a vehicle had struck power lines when she heard a loud crash. When she looked outside, she saw a cloud of dust and people calling for help.

The incident has raised concerns about the structural safety of ageing buildings in the historic district.