Samut Sakhon —
At 5:30 PM on November 29th, 2024, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit inspected the Rama 2 bridge collapse site, where a construction beam failure caused six fatalities and nine injuries in Samut Sakhon.
Suriya offered heartfelt condolences and announced immediate compensation of 1 million baht per deceased victim from the contractor. Construction on the project has been suspended for 14 days while a thorough investigation is conducted.
Read about the tragic bridge collapse on Rama 2 Road in Samut Sakhon.
The Department of Highways established a panel of experts, including members from the Engineering Institute of Thailand and the Council of Engineers, to assess the structural safety and determine the cause. A detailed report is expected within 15 days.
The government is also finalizing stricter contractor accountability measures, including blacklisting for fatal negligence. Contractors failing safety standards could face a one-year ban from state projects, with repeat offenses resulting in permanent disqualification.
Emergency efforts are underway to clear debris from the collapsed site. Engineers and heavy machinery have been mobilized to dismantle damaged steel and concrete beams, with work expected to be completed in 14 days.
In the meantime, authorities aim to reopen parallel lanes for traffic as soon as possible to ease congestion.
Suriya emphasized that restoring public confidence is a priority. All future infrastructure projects will undergo enhanced safety assessments to prevent similar tragedies. “We must ensure all projects meet engineering standards before opening them to the public,” he said.
