Thread: 1 dead 5 injured as crane falls on two minivans on Pattaya Highway 7

PATTAYA: -- Police and medics were called to Highway 7 on the outskirts of Pattaya on Thursday afternoon to deal with a serious and fatal accident involving a crane and two Toyota Minivans which left a driver dead and 5 passengers injured.

The incident occurred on the Laem Chabang section of Highway 7 where a new flyover is currently being constructed. Due to high winds and at a time when the crane was fully extended to 50 meters in length, it toppled over and the crane shaft fell onto two Toyota Minivans on the east-bound carriageway.

The driver of one of the minivans, Khun Santi aged 45, was pronounced dead at the scene and a total of 5 passengers, 3 of them Japanese Nationals, were seriously injured and taken to Hospitals in the Sriracha District area.

Khun Sompong, the crane driver explained how he was employed to assist the construction of the Nong Kham-Laem Chabang Flyover and had the crane shaft fully extended with a long piece of concrete attached to the hook.

1 dead 5 injured as crane falls on two minivans on Pattaya Highway 7 | Pattaya One – Pattaya News, Thailand News, World News, updated 24 hours a day
1 dead 5 injured as crane falls on two minivans on Pattaya Highway 7 - See more at: 1 dead 5 injured as crane falls on two minivans on Pattaya Highway 7 | Pattaya One – Pattaya News, Thailand News, World News, updated 24 hours a day
1 dead 5 injured as crane falls on two minivans on Pattaya Highway 7 - See more at: 1 dead 5 injured as crane falls on two minivans on Pattaya Highway 7 | Pattaya One – Pattaya News, Thailand News, World News, updated 24 hours a day

Now this is the crane involved if you look at the picture there should 15 to 20 ton counter weight behind the boom.

Also where his support arm there should be big 2.4 X 2.4 meter plates on the ground under the arms.

50 meters at full extension with a load on the end is nothing to fuk with.

Our ladder was 35 meters and only had a poxy cage hanging from the top.

Anyway, that machine is fuked, the booms will need to be disassembled, retested, certified and refitted to the chassis.

Huge money right there.

Insurance may just tell them to fuk off because this was straight out operator error.

In the West for sure Insurance would not pay.

Originally Posted by terry57

50 meters at full extension with a load on the end is nothing to fuk with.

Our ladder was 35 meters and only had a poxy cage hanging from the top.

Anyway, that machine is fuked, the booms will need to be disassembled, retested, certified and refitted to the chassis.

Huge money right there..

Tested.....certified.......
It will be back at work as soon as it's upright.

^

Yes I know what you're saying but by the looks of that first picture that may not be the case.

Nasty looking damage to the two mini-vans. I wonder if the drivers saw it coming and had time to slow at all. If they were moving at usual speed, that must have been a very abrupt stop for the passengers, who no doubt were unsecured with seat belts.

A couple of years ago I hired a 180 ton all terrain crane it costs 55,000 for 8 hours.
When he arrived he moved into position, then lifted his boom.
Then a truck carrying his out rigger pads 2.4m X 2.4m he lifted them of the truck onto the ground then set up his 4 out riggers.
Now he lifted the wheels of the ground only sitting on the 4 out riggers,the truck moved along side the crane with 20ton counter weight which was attached behind the boom.
Then it took 30 minutes to go through his check list.


You can see post #2 the picture there is no counter weight at all.

Just got back from Bkk, debris still there, added 30 mins to our trip.

These civil engineering projects undertaken solely by the Thai, such as road building, seem to be a licence for feeding time at the monkey zoo. No genuine project management at all and the project itself seems to be secondary to the primary function which is to gouge as much payola as possible. Look at the length of time it took to build the Pattaya/Jomtien road, a matter of 5 kilometers. Six years I believe and it's still not finished properly.

Ghastly people. Sly, devious and very,very greedy.

In this country you always have to use your peripheral vision. Dangerous shit will come at you from angles you never would suspect.

^
Especially when its windy and raining.

Yesterday I was walking in lumpini around 5.30PM when a storm come through. By the time I done the circuit two massive trees had come down.

Fucked if hit by them.

A bit like that crane EH.

So what do you recon, Somchai got the arse for forgetting to attach the counter weight.

Quite incredible that innit.

That machine would be worth around a 800K I would say.

Our 35 meter rescue ladder come home at 600 K.

Originally Posted by terry57

So what do you recon, Somchai got the arse for forgetting to attach the counter weight

Did he fuck

Originally Posted by terry57

^
Especially when its windy and raining.

Yesterday I was walking in lumpini around 5.30PM when a storm come through. By the time I done the circuit two massive trees had come down.

Fucked if hit by them.

A bit like that crane EH.

So what do you recon, Somchai got the arse for forgetting to attach the counter weight.

Quite incredible that innit.

I suppose one might, if pushed, consider the the possibility of pruning or a strategy of pollarding certain trees which may well prevent spontaneous collapse through the weight of the tree exceeding the means by which it may anchor itself.

Of course, that would require a bit of planning, some intelligence and judgement and a commitment to maintain. Given we are in Thailand where the average chickenhead has none of the aforesaid qualities and is as forward thinking as a mayfly it is no surprise that trees in its only real park should fall down.

The country is quite simply an experiment in the chaos theory.

^
Funny fuker the Gent EH but by George he may be onto something.

As I neared my apartment after leaving Lumpini a large branch had broken off and smashed up a taxi outside the Bangkok Christian hospital.

People just carried on like nothing had happened.

Fukin footpath was rammed with people but the branch missed them all and hit the taxi.

Ive seen shit like this happen a few times now, punters have missed death by inches.

Friggin nuts out there, that's why I like it.

Originally Posted by Albert Shagnastier

Did he fuck

I suppose you're right, SomChai was promoted eh.

Originally Posted by thegent

The country is quite simply an experiment in the chaos theory.

You could just move to Ireland, where everything is ever so cute and under control.

Myself I prefer the the wild west theory; stay alert, head down, guns loaded, powder dry.

Originally Posted by Mr Earl

Myself I prefer the the wild west theory; stay alert, head down, guns loaded, powder dry.

That's about it EH Earl,

The only way to survive in this mad house, keeps life exciting though all the mad shit that goes down.

Massive fuk off window pane fell from a high rise the other day central Silom.

Missed every fuker.

Originally Posted by thegent

The country is quite simply an experiment in the chaos theory.

Purple Ohms or Double Dipped Strawberries.

Makes not much odds or there about something.

Total destruction the only solution.

From the ashes doth rise the phoenix.

Bill "Bob Marley Carlin" an Ting.

Originally Posted by terry57

50 meters at full extension with a load on the end is nothing to fuk with.

Our ladder was 35 meters and only had a poxy cage hanging from the top.

Anyway, that machine is fuked, the booms will need to be disassembled, retested, certified and refitted to the chassis.

Huge money right there.

Insurance may just tell them to fuk off because this was straight out operator error.

In the West for sure Insurance would not pay.

Shit like this happens a lot, mainly on enclosed civil work construction sites though. Short-cut Somchai Crane Co., etc.
It's why just about all heavy-lifting companies in the oil, gas, and power industries here are Western-managed.

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

Now this is the crane involved if you look at the picture there should 15 to 20 ton counter weight behind the boom.

Also where his support arm there should be big 2.4 X 2.4 meter plates on the ground under the arms.

Apart from the reasons already given, I would say another reason why this happened was that the operator set up the crane too close to the edge and the ground gave way underneath the outriggers. Once that happened, the sudden movement at the top of the 50 m. boom would have been a bit hard to arrest.

Originally Posted by thegent

Originally Posted by terry57

^
Especially when its windy and raining.

Yesterday I was walking in lumpini around 5.30PM when a storm come through. By the time I done the circuit two massive trees had come down.

Fucked if hit by them.

A bit like that crane EH.

So what do you recon, Somchai got the arse for forgetting to attach the counter weight.

Quite incredible that innit.

I suppose one might, if pushed, consider the the possibility of pruning or a strategy of pollarding certain trees which may well prevent spontaneous collapse through the weight of the tree exceeding the means by which it may anchor itself.

Of course, that would require a bit of planning, some intelligence and judgement and a commitment to maintain. Given we are in Thailand where the average chickenhead has none of the aforesaid qualities and is as forward thinking as a mayfly it is no surprise that trees in its only real park should fall down.

The country is quite simply an experiment in the chaos theory.

That is why I like it. Just stay in the west will ya ?

Originally Posted by palexxxx

Originally Posted by Ratchaburi

Now this is the crane involved if you look at the picture there should 15 to 20 ton counter weight behind the boom.

Also where his support arm there should be big 2.4 X 2.4 meter plates on the ground under the arms.

Apart from the reasons already given, I would say another reason why this happened was that the operator set up the crane too close to the edge and the ground gave way underneath the outriggers. Once that happened, the sudden movement at the top of the 50 m. boom would have been a bit hard to arrest.

But if you don't have that extra 20 ton on the back side of the boom, it's a guaranteed that thing's will go pear shape.

^ That is why I said, "Apart from the reasons already given"