BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has presided over the handover of compensation to the families of 18 victims who were killed in the recent crane collapse in Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The incident occurred when a construction crane fell onto a passenger train during work on a high-speed rail project, resulting in a major loss of life and national shock.
Each family received 1 million baht in initial compensation, jointly provided by the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), Bangkok Insurance, Dhipaya Insurance, Indara Insurance, and Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited. Additional assistance was offered through the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Compensation Act for Injured Persons, the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation, the Justice Fund, and emergency social support from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
Anutin expressed the government’s condolences and stressed the need for swift support to ease the burden on affected families. He stated that the handover ensured that financial assistance reached the victims’ families without delay and with full transparency.
The prime minister also instructed relevant agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, demanding that the process be transparent, fair, and impartial, with no individual or entity shielded from scrutiny.
Prime Minister Anutin called for an urgent overhaul of construction safety standards, including revisions to existing laws, stronger on-site supervision, tighter enforcement, and tougher penalties to prevent similar accidents in the future. (NNT)
