BANGKOK (AFP) – Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called yesterday for legal action after six people were killed at the weekend on a highway construction project that has seen several deadly incidents in recent years.
A concrete beam forming part of an under-construction elevated roadway collapsed early on Saturday on Rama II road, an important highway linking Bangkok to the country’s south.
Paetongtarn chaired an urgent meeting with government agencies yesterday to discuss safety after the accident, which also injured dozens of people. She said contractors could have their licences revoked if they were found to have been negligent and criminal charges could follow.
“We will see if any processes have been ignored, and whether the construction work followed the rules and regulations. There may be criminal responsibility,” she said during the meeting.
Rama II road, which leads southwest from Bangkok, is the primary artery linking the capital to the long narrow stretch of southern Thailand.
