Construction Crane Collapses Onto Highway In Thailand, Killing 2, Injuring 5 - Reports

BANGKOK, Jan 15 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- Two people were killed and another five sustained injuries of varying severity when parts of a construction crane collapsed onto a busy highway in central Thailand in the early morning of Thursday, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported.

According to the Bangkok Post newspaper, a construction crane working on an elevated toll road project collapsed on the King Rama II Highway in the Samut Sakhon Province, 17 miles away from Bangkok. Parts of the crane reportedly fell onto the roadway, hitting two cars passing by.

The police and rescue workers closed several lanes in both directions of the highway, causing a traffic jam, according to the report. The Bangkok Post advised drivers to choose alternative routes.

Incidents involving construction materials falling onto the roadway on the King Rama II Highway have occurred before, leading to casualties. The King Rama II Highway, an extension of the avenue of the same name in the Thai capital, is a major thoroughfare connecting Bangkok with the southern provinces of the country.

The crane accident on the highway comes after a passenger train collided with a construction crane that had fallen onto the tracks in the Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima on January 14, killing 32 people, injuring 64 others and leaving another three missing.

--BERNAMA-SPUTNIK