CHIANG RAI, THAILAND – Two workers have died and seven others were injured in a scaffold collapse late on June 20th in the Doi Luang Railway Tunnel. The incident occurred while the men were engaged in waterproofing work when rocks suddenly fell from the tunnel wall.
Felssturz während der Abdichtungsarbeiten
Authorities received the first alert around 8:35 PM. In the 3.4-kilometer tunnel, located in Chiang Saen district, workers were installing a waterproofing system when tonnes of rock broke loose from the wall. The falling rocks brought down a scaffold.
Two workers were recovered deceased. Seven other men sustained injuries, with three suffering serious wounds and four minor ones.
Vize-Minister spricht von Gesteinsbrocken
Immediately after the incident, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat offered a preliminary cause. “The situation is now under control, and the accident area has been cordoned off for safety reasons,” he stated in an initial comment. He declined to comment definitively on conflicting initial reports that spoke of a collapse during shotcrete work, adding that the exact circumstances are now the subject of a detailed investigation.
Opfer und Verletzte ins Krankenhaus gebracht
The recovery of those trapped continued into the night. Rescue teams promptly transported the bodies of the two fatalities and the seven injured colleagues to a nearby hospital. First responders identified three severely injured individuals among the casualties, alongside four workers with relatively minor injuries. The project’s safety unit has since assumed full control of the construction site.
Milliardenprojekt mit drei Firmen
The Doi Luang Tunnel is part of the ambitious Den Chai-Chiang Rai-Chiang Khong railway construction project. It has already been fully bored and is intended to carry trains through the mountain in the future. The joint venture CKST-DC3 is responsible for the construction work under contract 3, valued at 19.385 billion Baht. This venture comprises CH. Karnchang Public Company Limited, Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction Public Company Limited, and Chiangmai Construction Co., Ltd.
87 Kilometer neue Gleise im Fokus
The third construction contract includes not only the tunnel but also 87 kilometers of surface and elevated tracks. Additionally, it encompasses three stations, three halts, and complete signaling and telecommunication systems. However, the fateful evening in the Doi Luang Tunnel has cast a different light on this mammoth project. The Special Projects and Construction Department of the State Railway of Thailand rushed to the scene overnight and initiated an urgent inspection.
Ermittlungen zur genauen Ursache laufen
Why the rocks detached precisely when the waterproofing was being installed remains unclear. Site safety experts have been monitoring every movement within the tunnel since the incident. The Ministry of Transport announced it would report on further developments once new findings emerge. The detailed investigation into the cause of the accident has commenced.
Folgen und nächste Schritte
The bodies of the deceased and the injured workers were taken to a hospital. The Special Projects and Construction Department of the State Railway of Thailand is inspecting the accident site and monitoring safety conditions. Authorities have cordoned off the scene and launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the exact cause of the mishap.
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