Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered the Ministry of Transport to end two contracts with Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) following crane collapse incidents that resulted in over 30 deaths.
Mr Anutin told the Transport Ministry to cancel the contracts, pursue legal action and blacklist the construction contractor. He said this action aims to restore public confidence and reassure foreign investors.
Mr Anutin expressed concern as the same contractor has been linked to multiple serious accidents over the past 10 months, including the collapse of the State Audit Office building.
The prime minister, also the Bhumaithai Party leader, emphasised the need for clear accountability, saying that the state must compensate and ensure the safety of citizens using public transport services, while also seeking damages and enforcing penalties against contractors to enhance safety standards in future projects.
Regarding the high-speed rail project where a crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province on Wednesday, Mr Anutin said that construction was 85% complete.
He confirmed that the contract must be terminated, and a new contractor will be appointed to finish the remaining work, emphasising that public safety is the top priority.
His comments followed two crane-related accidents that have claimed at least 34 lives.
On Wednesday morning, 32 people were killed and 64 injured when a construction crane fell onto a moving train in Sikhio. On Thursday, two more deaths and five injuries occurred when parts of a crane collapsed onto Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon province, hitting two vehicles below.
