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Elevated road collapses in Bangkok, killing at least two people

Elevated road collapses in Bangkok, killing at least two people
Rescue crews were initially unable to access the site for fear of a further collapse.(AP: Nava Sangthong)

At least two people have been killed as an elevated road under construction in Thailand's capital has collapsed.

Another 11 people were injured in the accident on Monday evening, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipan said in a news conference on Tuesday that one person was killed at the site and another later died at a hospital.

Rescue crews were initially unable to access the site for fear of a further collapse.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse of the road on the west side of Bangkok, but Mr Chadchart said the structure had been severely damaged.

He said workers began removing debris at the site after authorities confirmed no-one was still trapped.

It could take several days for the rubble to be cleared, he said.

Video footage of the collapse shows a blue metal structure that appeared to be used for holding the concrete slabs suddenly falling and bringing the whole structure down.

People are seen screaming and running away from the site.

The elevated road had been under construction since 2020.

The construction project was commissioned by Bangkok authorities to Tharawan Construction and Npa Construction, according to the contract published on the website of the Office of the Official Information Commission.

"This shouldn't have happened," Mr Chadchart said while inspecting the site on Monday evening.

"Someone needs to be responsible for this because this wasn't something unpreventable."

Earlier this year, a construction worker was killed and four cars were damaged in a similar accident in Bangkok, when a slab of concrete fell from a raised road under construction.

In that case, a frame being used to lift the slab snapped, causing the concrete section to fall to the ground below.

By AP/ABC

Original article link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-11/bangkok-road-collapse-kills-two-people-injures-more/102588700

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