Final Body Removed After Crane Collapse on Rama 2 Main Lanes Remain Closed on Both Sides

Late last night, rescue personnel successfully retrieved the body of a 41-year-old man trapped inside a closed van after a crane collapse on Rama 2 Road. The body was sent for autopsy before being handed over to the family. The main traffic lanes remain closed on both sides.

On 16 Jan 2026 GMT+7, reporters updated on the incident involving a concrete beam and crane collapse at the elevated highway construction project of Highway 82, Bang Khun Thian-Ban Phaeo route, section Ekachai-Ban Phaeo segment 7 (km 30+300), Rama 2 Road, Tha Chin Subdistrict, Mueang Samut Sakhon District, Samut Sakhon Province. The collapse occurred on the morning of 15 Jan, resulting in fatalities and injuries.

At 23:29, rescue teams spoke with the family of Mr. Sarawut Vetchakarn, 41, the pickup truck driver trapped beneath the concrete beam and crushed inside the vehicle, one of the deceased in the incident. The family requested the body be recovered as soon as possible. Around 23:29, officials used a large crane to carefully lift the concrete beam, successfully retrieving parts of Mr. Sarawut's body. The body was then taken to Samut Sakhon Hospital for autopsy.

. . . An elder sister expressed sorrow, waiting for officials to recover her brother’s body, heartbroken that he died on his one-year-old daughter's birthday. )

Next, the Department of Highways has brought in experts to analyze, assess, and plan how to safely remove the crane from the pier, aiming to restore the road surface promptly.

Currently, the main traffic lanes on Rama 2 Road remain closed: inbound from km 28+400 to km 32+000 and outbound from km 29+100 to km 30+600. Traffic is allowed on parallel lanes in both directions. Motorists are advised to use Phetkasem and Ekachai roads as alternatives.

Meanwhile, the Traffic and Accident Management Center of the Department of Highways has issued public advisories recommending alternative routes due to fallen steel structures at km 30+300 on Rama 2 Road (Highway 35) and advises travelers to allow extra time. The suggested detours are as follows:

Inbound to Bangkok:

• Vehicles from the south: Use Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road) to Highway 338 (Borommaratchachonnani Road) into Bangkok.
• Vehicles from the south: Use Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road) to Motorway M81 into Bangkok.
• Vehicles from Samut Songkhram/Bang Thot: Use Highway 375 toward Ban Phaeo District, exit to Nakhon Pathom, then take Phetkasem Road and Borommaratchachonnani Road into Bangkok.

Outbound from Bangkok:

• Vehicles from Bangkok: Use Highway 338 (Borommaratchachonnani Road) to Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road) heading south.
• Vehicles from Bangkok: Use Highway 9 (Kanchanaphisek Road) to Motorway M81, then Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road) heading south.
• Vehicles from Bang Khun Thian interchange: Use Highway 9 (Kanchanaphisek Road) to Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road) heading south.

Regarding the investigation, Pol. Col. Sitthiporn Kasi, Superintendent of Mueang Samut Sakhon Police Station, stated that after the incident, several witnesses, injured persons, and bystanders were called in for preliminary questioning. However, no information can yet be released as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Samut Sakhon fact-finding committee. The police are also awaiting forensic and engineering reports.