At least five people have been killed when a flyover under construction in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, collapsed, officials said.
Transport Minister Surya Jungrungreangkit said 24 more people were injured at a construction site in the early morning incident in southwest Bangkok.
Expressing condolences, he added that the victims' families would be compensated by the contractors and relevant authorities. He specified that the dead included four workers and an engineer, while there were no casualties among the drivers, as the roads near the construction work were closed at the time.
Bangkok police commander Siam Boonsom said authorities were investigating the cause of the collapse and that legal action would be taken against those responsible.
Photos from the scene show large metal and concrete structures falling to the ground, blocking the road.
According to project information posted on the Expressway Authority of Thailand website, work on the three-mile flyover began in 2022.
Agency Governor Surachet Laofulsuk said they were aiming to clear the rubble as quickly as possible, but it could take up to a week. He added that contractors working on the project had been suspended for 14 days pending an investigation.
Road and construction safety remain a major concern in Thailand. The site of Saturday's collapse is part of a major road linking Bangkok to the country's south and has been controversial for its lengthy construction and high fatalities.
Mr Surya said the transport ministry was drafting new rules that would allow contractors found responsible for construction accidents to be suspended and blacklisted from future tenders for government projects.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
