Crane collapse in Thailand that killed 32 was 'caused by contractors bypassing safety procedures'
A horror crane collapse that killed 32 in Thailand was allegedly caused by contractors bypassing safety procedures.
Transport officials concluded on Tuesday that the tragedy was caused by a 'systemic failure' as they announced the results of a months-long probe into the crash.
The locomotive was taking hundreds of locals and tourists from the capital Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima province on January 14 when the construction equipment plunged onto the tracks.
Passengers screamed as the vehicle smashed into the metal and more debris landed on the carriages. Several of the cars were derailed in the crash at around 9 am local time in the Ban Thanon Khot district of Nakhon Ratchasima.
Many were trapped inside the mangled carriages which were crushed by metal and debris.
Officials confirmed 32 passengers had been killed and 71 others injured. Holidaymakers Friedrich Wilhelm, from Germany, and Kim Yongho, from South Korea, were among the fatalities, which also included a one-year-old and an 85-year-old. Many tourists had left the train at earlier stops on the busy route.
Jirapong Theppitak, deputy permanent secretary for the Ministry of Transport and chairman of the fact-finding committee, said the accident stemmed from workers skipping a mandatory safety step.
They reportedly moved the 700-ton Launching Gantry crane forward without first repositioning the middle support to help distribute the weight. This placed the entire load on the front support alone, causing the PT steel support bars to snap and the crane base to collapse onto the passing train below.
The fatal error was among a host of other problems plaguing the construction, including contractors routinely ignoring safety procedures, work starting without permits or railway closure approval, failure to replace worn support components, inadequate crane inspections and expired safety certifications, supervisors approving work in advance or retroactively, and engineers and safety officers rarely being present on-site.
Jirapong said: 'It was not the mistake of a single worker but a systematic failure by all parties concerned.'
Authorities also slammed the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) over alleged poor oversight despite being legally obligated to supervise the project.
They said the failures could be considered serious breaches of contract and may lead to contract termination, blacklisting and revocation of registration.
The investigation committee proposed five urgent measures to the Ministry of Transport, including banning work above active railway tracks, ending retroactive work approvals, mandating independent crane inspections, installing real-time monitoring systems, and tightening penalties and contractor standards for high-risk projects.
