Three Dead, Dozens Injured as Steel Beams collapse on Rama II Road

[Mr Meeseeks]

43 minutes ago, OldmanJ said:

I didn't believe there is any occupational health and safety here.Is there and where.

OSHE Act Thailand 2554

https://www.tosh.or.th/TOSH-EN/images/file/osh-act.pdf

[steven100]

Just now, anchadian said:

UPDATE: It has been revealed on Friday that the past six years of Rama II Road saw 2,242 accidents.

 

https://x.com/KhaosodEnglish/status/1862431786208477271

 

absolute imbeciles with zero common sense.   The numbers speak for themselves ....

 

the defense rests your honor      !

[ChrisY1]

7 hours ago, bluemoonpattaya said:

This would indicate that the weight of the concrete slabs was left hanging on the steel structure, because the shift had ended ? Not a good working practice in the grand scheme on safe engineering. Even though the steel structure should be able to take up this weight for this amount of time, The fact that it collapsed would indicate that the SWL of the steel structure has been surpassed. Is it possible that the weight of the concrete slabs have increased. we don't know, answers in a brown envelope please.. 😉

SWL = SAFE WORKING LOAD

That's actually how these travelers operate. They hoist the segments into position, then push the stressing strands through ducts, tension these strands and grout everything. The operation would likely take 7 days at least, to complete

[Mr Meeseeks]

7 hours ago, khunjeff said:

 

I somehow doubt that I would choose provincial police officers as the best-qualified people to lead an investigation of a major construction accident.

They are experts and born geniuses don’t ya know? 

[friendphil]

12 hours ago, bluemoonpattaya said:

The site engineer needs a new calculator.

It seems more like the site needs a new engineer! 

[Liverpool Lou]

13 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Yet again.

 

And how many Rama II construction "accidents" do not get media attention?

Perhaps you could tell us as you're making that suggestion.

[SiSePuede419]

13 hours ago, bluemoonpattaya said:

The site engineer needs a new calculator.

He was looking at 5318008 upside down. 😳

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

“Given the damaged structure, safety will be the primary concern during debris removal

Safety a concern..... sad it wasn't a concern before, six lives would have been saved.

[harryviking]

Unexperienced workers and no clue about physics and security!

[Kerryd]

Note that most of the dead were from Myanmar. Companies hire labourers from Cambodia and Myanmar because they work cheap and you can often avoid having to pay them at all by just calling "someone" at Immigration just before payday and having half your workforce arrested and deported for being in the country illegally. (Used to be a fairly common occurence in Pattaya Condo construction projects in the past.)
Most of those workers are probably even less qualified than your average Thai worker and we know just how "qualified" your average electrician/plumber/bricklayer/labourer is here.

In Thailand, cutting corners to increase profit seems to be the main guiding principle on these projects. Hence the new roads that collapse, develop potholes and deep ruts (or all three) within a couple years of construction.

ForFreddiesSake - we built roads all around the Kandahar Air Field that were routinely used by tanks, armoured vehicles, cargo trucks and heavy equipment and never had the problems that they have on literally every new road built here.

Mainly because here they try to build the cheapest road possible, using packed sand as underlay and thin layers of asphalt (that starts to crumble and fall apart within months) or concrete (where they have an inch of poor quality concrete overtop of wire rebar that gets exposed within a couple years as the concrete crumbles.

No one cares and there doesn't seem to be any "Quality Control" or "Contract Assurance" to make sure the contractors do their job properly.
It's a wonder any high rises in the country survive the first monsoon season. (Also why I would never consider buying a condo as I highly doubt the construction standards are that much better than they are with your average single or two story "village" house.)

I suspect there will be a couple news stories about "increased inspections" and "enforcing safety standards" in the next few days - and then it will be back to business as per normal a couple weeks later.

Just like happens after every nightclub/mall/condo fire disaster. Lots of chest-pounding in front of the cameras for a couple days, some photo ops of "inspections" and then 2 weeks later everything is back to the way it was before.
 

[arick]

18 hours ago, khunjeff said:

 

I somehow doubt that I would choose provincial police officers as the best-qualified people to lead an investigation of a major construction accident.

What happened when the cement fell two years ago 

[Srikcir]

14 hours ago, anchadian said:

UPDATE: It has been revealed on Friday that the past six years of Rama II Road saw 2,242 accidents.

 

https://x.com/KhaosodEnglish/status/1862431786208477271

 

According to TNN Online, 2,242 accidents occurred on Rama II Road between 2018 and January this year, resulting in 132 deaths and 1,305 injuries.

[Classic Ray]

55 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Note that most of the dead were from Myanmar. Companies hire labourers from Cambodia and Myanmar because they work cheap and you can often avoid having to pay them at all by just calling "someone" at Immigration just before payday and having half your workforce arrested and deported for being in the country illegally. (Used to be a fairly common occurence in Pattaya Condo construction projects in the past.)
Most of those workers are probably even less qualified than your average Thai worker and we know just how "qualified" your average electrician/plumber/bricklayer/labourer is here.

In Thailand, cutting corners to increase profit seems to be the main guiding principle on these projects. Hence the new roads that collapse, develop potholes and deep ruts (or all three) within a couple years of construction.

ForFreddiesSake - we built roads all around the Kandahar Air Field that were routinely used by tanks, armoured vehicles, cargo trucks and heavy equipment and never had the problems that they have on literally every new road built here.

Mainly because here they try to build the cheapest road possible, using packed sand as underlay and thin layers of asphalt (that starts to crumble and fall apart within months) or concrete (where they have an inch of poor quality concrete overtop of wire rebar that gets exposed within a couple years as the concrete crumbles.

No one cares and there doesn't seem to be any "Quality Control" or "Contract Assurance" to make sure the contractors do their job properly.
It's a wonder any high rises in the country survive the first monsoon season. (Also why I would never consider buying a condo as I highly doubt the construction standards are that much better than they are with your average single or two story "village" house.)

I suspect there will be a couple news stories about "increased inspections" and "enforcing safety standards" in the next few days - and then it will be back to business as per normal a couple weeks later.

Just like happens after every nightclub/mall/condo fire disaster. Lots of chest-pounding in front of the cameras for a couple days, some photo ops of "inspections" and then 2 weeks later everything is back to the way it was before.
 

Has there been an update on the school bus fire tragedy, or will that join the list of inactive investigations?

 

By now I would expect all CNG and NGV buses to have been inspected and certified safe, those responsible to have been charged to court, and a stiffer inspection regime to have been introduced to prevent a recurrence.

 

But as someone said above TIT.

[AhFarangJa]

10 hours ago, friendphil said:

It seems more like the site needs a new engineer! 

Better still they should be employing a Qualified, and competent engineer.

[JimHuaHin]

A proposed nuclear power plant and high speed rains, what could possibly go wrong?

[KhunLA]

Think I'll take the long scenic route, Hwy #4, from now on, when visiting the kid.   When on Rama 2, passing the construction, it's like glancing up, then in front, then up, then in front, and you wonder how many are doing the same, and if I have to suddenly stop, what chain reaction will that cause 

 

Yea ... hwy #4 is sounding a better idea, and sometimes, takes just as long.

 

R I P 

[NedR69]

....Experts suspect issues with the hydraulic pumps or sling riders during the assembly process.

 

They're also experts at deflecting fault and refusing to accept responsibility.

[Baba Naba]

That's what you get when you neglect a Spirit House! 

[Georgealbert]

UPDATE
Final Victim’s Body Recovered from Wreckage of Rama 2 Construction Collapse 

 

Pictures from the USAR team.

 

At approximately 06.15 on the morning of November 30, USAR (urban search and rescue) teams successfully retrieved the final victim’s body which was pinned under the wreckage of steel beams and concrete slabs.
 

This marked the conclusion of the extensive and delicate casualty recovery stage of operation that lasted throughout the night and had taken 24 hours to complete.

 

USAR teams under the command of DDPM (Department of Disaster Prevention and Migration) had worked with structural engineers who conducted inspections of the collapsed structure and to confirmed no further movement in the damaged components and wreckage, ensuring the area was stable enough for continued recovery operations.

 

Currently, the express lanes of Rama II Road at the collapse site remain closed to traffic as authorities work to clear debris and conduct further safety assessments. Commuters are advised to use alternative routes to avoid delays.

 

Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing, and officials have vowed to determine accountability and ensure such incidents do not occur again in the future.

 

 

-- 2024-11-30

 

[spidermike007]

Everything about the construction of this highway is truly an abomination, they are over a decade behind schedule, it looks like there are 20 years to go before they reach out to Phetchaburi, considering they're only at kilometer 35, and even that section is not complete.

 

In my opinion the top officials of this company should be fined hundreds of millions of dollars for their failure to follow a respectable schedule, and making Rama II the hazed it is. In addition the top officials should be bought to trial for negligent homicide as a result of this accident. 

[spidermike007]

Nothing less than negligent homicide charges against the top executives of this company and fines into the billions of baht, for being a decade being schedule. This highway construction is an abomination, and should be a huge embarrassment to the government. If they had any pride to begin with. 

[Nid_Noi]

18 hours ago, The Alien said:

Probably Myanmar workers 😢

As the article mentions they are several workers from Myanmar.~

Families lost their only source of income.

I hope they get some financial help.

 

 

[KireB]

23 hours ago, khunpin said:

Road construction? You might consider to try to read and understand the article again ... 

What is the article about then? Frozen strawberries?

[paul1804]

Whilst most Thai's have the attitude that they know better & brown envelopes are their way of life nothing will change!

[superal]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Everything about the construction of this highway is truly an abomination, they are over a decade behind schedule, it looks like there are 20 years to go before they reach out to Phetchaburi, considering they're only at kilometer 35, and even that section is not complete.

 

In my opinion the top officials of this company should be fined hundreds of millions of dollars for their failure to follow a respectable schedule, and making Rama II the hazed it is. In addition the top officials should be bought to trial for negligent homicide as a result of this accident. 

That's what would happen in the Western world with the C.E.O. s at risk of prison sentences . Hence , clear working procedures , risk assessments and safety officer daily presence are normal events . Health & Safety consideration were once , the least important but now because the buck stops at the top , H&S are at the forefront .  But Thailand is still 50 years behind and money number 1 as always . 

[mackayae]

Curse of the black panther.

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

Master's degree conferred by the Facebook School of Engineering, Class of 2012.

[blazes]

I was on the Suvarnaphumi - Hua Hin bus last night.

Within 30 or so km to the accident site, traffic is in gridlock and a section that usually takes about 15 minutes took 45.

BUT,once past the site, the bus, to make up the lost time, revved up and shot like a bat out of hell, and my wife and I were scared $hitless.

 

Like most of us on this thread, I have come across dangerous situations on the roads of Thailand many times before.  But last night we truly feared for our lives.

BE WARNED, take the train (or as KhunLA says above, take Highway $4).

[watchcat]

On 11/29/2024 at 12:49 AM, JimHuaHin said:

Yet again.

 

And how many Rama II construction "accidents" do not get media attention?

 

Perhaps they used cheap imported steel (from China), or got good backhanders. ?

[proton]

On 11/30/2024 at 10:30 AM, Baba Naba said:

That's what you get when you neglect a Spirit House! 

 

Or a dream. the road is cursed for running over cobras when the road was constructed, so a shrine was built i 1996 to appease the spirits, does not seem to be working today.

 

https://www.bangkokpicture.com/unusual/cobraqueen.php