A major incident occurred on March 15, 2025, when a concrete beam from the Dao Khanong Expressway Bridge collapsed onto Rama II Road in Bangkok shortly before 2 AM. The falling debris crushed vehicles, resulting in at least five fatalities and more than fifteen injuries, with several people trapped beneath the rubble. Emergency teams responded quickly, but the collapse caused extensive road closures, severe traffic disruptions, and raised concerns about construction safety. Additional information clarifies the full impact and ongoing investigation.
In the early hours of March 15, 2025, a considerable structural collapse occurred on Rama II Road in Bangkok’s Chom Thong district, where a concrete beam from the under-construction Dao Khanong Expressway Bridge fell onto the existing roadway. The incident happened at approximately 1:48 AM local time, during an ongoing phase of the Rama III – Dao Khanong Expressway extension project.
The collapsed beam, located near the Dao Khanong toll plaza and about 200 meters from an expressway entrance, struck the underlying road, directly affecting both Rama II Road and Chom Thong Burana Road, which were subsequently closed to traffic in all directions. Emergency personnel from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration arrived at the scene quickly to manage the situation and assist with rescue efforts. This accident is part of a consistent pattern of serious accidents that have occurred on Rama II Road over the past several years.
A falling expressway beam near Dao Khanong toll plaza forced the closure of Rama II and Chom Thong Burana roads in all directions.
At the time of the incident, more than 20 workers were present at the site. Initial casualty reports indicated between five and seven confirmed fatalities, including both Thai nationals and foreign workers. Additionally, between 16 and 24 people were injured, and approximately thirty individuals were believed to be trapped under the debris immediately following the collapse.
Emergency response teams, led by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department and supported by the Poh Teck Tung Foundation, arrived promptly to conduct rescue operations. Specialized equipment, including sniffer dogs, was used to search for survivors, and teams worked cautiously to avoid triggering secondary collapses.
Preliminary investigations suggest that soil shifts may have contributed to the failure of the structure, although the exact cause remains under review by engineering experts and police authorities. Witness accounts from workers on site reported hearing loud noises preceding the collapse, which occurred during the concrete pouring process.
The incident led to a complete severance of the expressway at the construction site, considerably disrupting transportation for several districts and causing extensive traffic delays. The closure and obstruction of major routes, such as Chom Thong Road and Chom Thong Burana Road, are expected to have notable economic impacts on local businesses and daily commuters.
The ongoing investigation will seek to determine the precise sequence of events and establish accountability for the structural failure on one of Bangkok’s busiest construction routes.
