Back-to-Back Gantry Crane Collapses in Thailand Raise Serious Safety Concerns

30 Second Takeaway

Thailand has experienced two catastrophic gantry crane collapses within a 24-hour period, resulting in at least 34 fatalities. The first incident involved a gantry crane collapse onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima, killing at least 32 people. Less than a day later, a second gantry crane collapsed onto a busy expressway in Samut Sakhon, killing two more. Both incidents occurred on major infrastructure projects operated by Italian-Thai Development, prompting urgent investigations and renewed scrutiny of crane safety, oversight, and decision-making on high-risk construction sites.

Accident 1

The First incident occurd in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand The crane was working on an expressway project in Samut Sakhon

Accident 2

The second incident occurred near the Tha Chin River Bridge in Samut Sakhon Province at a project extending the Rama 2 Road, an elevated highway southwest of Bangkok

Incident Overview

Nakhon Ratchasima & Samut Sakhon, ThailandWithin a 24-hour period

Thailand has been shaken by two fatal gantry crane accidents occurring less than a day apart on separate infrastructure projects.

The first incident occurred in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, when a gantry crane collapsed during construction works, resulting in multiple fatalities. Details of the project and exact failure sequence remain under investigation.

The second incident occurred in Samut Sakhon Province, near the Tha Chin River Bridge, during works to extend Rama 2 Road, an elevated highway southwest of Bangkok. In this case, a gantry crane collapsed onto a busy roadway, killing two people.

Both incidents occurred on projects operated by Italian-Thai Development (ITD).

What Happened

Based on information available at the time of publication:

First incident – Nakhon Ratchasima

• A gantry crane collapsed during construction works in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

• The incident resulted in at least 32 fatalities and numerous injuries

• Emergency response and recovery operations were initiated immediately

Second incident – Samut Sakhon (Rama 2 Road extension)

• A gantry crane collapsed near the Tha Chin River Bridge in Samut Sakhon Province

• The crane was working on a project extending Rama 2 Road, an elevated highway southwest of Bangkok

• The collapse occurred above a busy roadway

• Two people were killed in the incident

Investigations into both incidents are ongoing, with authorities examining construction methodology, crane condition, and compliance with approved procedures.

What Is Known

Crane type: Gantry crane (launching gantry)

Incident type: Structural collapse

Locations:

• Nakhon Ratchasima Province (rail project)

• Samut Sakhon Province (expressway project)

Timeframe: Incidents occurred within 24 hours

Fatalities: At least 34 confirmed

Injuries: Dozens reported in the rail incident

Contractor: Italian-Thai Development (ITD)

Investigation status: Active investigations underway

Early indications suggest a failure of the load-carrying or travelling components of the gantry system in the rail incident, though no official cause has been confirmed.

Project Context

The first incident in Nakhon Ratchasima occurred during gantry crane operations associated with a major infrastructure project. Authorities have not yet released full technical details regarding the specific construction phase underway at the time of the collapse.

The second incident occurred at a project extending Rama 2 Road, one of Thailand’s major transport corridors, near the Tha Chin River Bridge in Samut Sakhon Province. The elevated highway project has been subject to public concern due to repeated serious accidents along the route.

Both projects were being executed by Italian-Thai Development, one of Thailand’s largest construction contractors.

Government Response

Thailand’s prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, issued a statement following the incidents,

stating:

“Accidents like this can only happen due to negligence, skipped steps, deviations from the design, or the use of incorrect materials. We need to investigate whether there were any construction errors or deviations from proper procedures.”

Authorities have confirmed that full investigations are underway to examine design compliance, construction methodology, and operational controls.

Why Gantry Crane Failures Are Often Preventable

Gantry crane and launching gantry collapses are among the most severe forms of crane accidents due to the scale of loads, working heights, and proximity to live infrastructure.

Common contributing factors globally include:

• Inadequate verification of gantry structural integrity

• Deviations from approved erection or launching procedures

• Overloading or uneven load distribution

• Insufficient inspection of travelling mechanisms and support beams

• Schedule pressure overriding safety controls

Such failures rarely occur without warning indicators.

Industry Learning: Gantry Crane Safety Is a Systems Issue

These back-to-back collapses reinforce a critical industry reality:

Catastrophic crane failures are typically the result of systemic breakdowns, not isolated component failures.

Key safety controls that reduce gantry crane risk include:

• Strict adherence to approved erection and launching sequences

• Independent verification of gantry structural elements

• Clear exclusion zones beneath active gantry operations

• Robust inspection regimes at every construction stage

• Empowered stop-work authority when conditions deviate from plan

When these controls are weakened or bypassed, risk escalates rapidly.

Industry Reminder

These incidents were not sudden or unforeseeable events.

Major gantry crane collapses typically occur when known risks are accepted, normalized, or left unchallenged during complex infrastructure works.

Stopping work when uncertainty arises is not a delay it is a critical life-saving control.

Editorial Note

Crane Hub Global reports on gantry crane collapses, launching gantry failures, and major construction incidents to support industry learning and improve crane safety worldwide. This article is based on publicly available information at the time of publication and may be updated as investigations progress.

How Gantry Crane Accidents Can Be Prevented

Strict Compliance With Approved Methods

Erection and launching procedures must never be altered without full engineering review.

Independent Structural Verification

Critical gantry components should be independently inspected and signed off.

Enforced Exclusion Zones

Live transport routes beneath gantry operations should be eliminated wherever possible.

Empowered Stop-Work Authority

Personnel must be supported to halt work when conditions deviate from plan.

Treat Uncertainty as a Shutdown Trigger

If conditions or system behaviour are unclear, standing down prevents escalation.