High-speed rail tunnel work halted after death of three workers

Work on the construction of a tunnel for the Thailand-China high-speed railway project in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima province was temporarily suspended on Friday after all three trapped workers died.

A foreman and a backhoe operator, both Chinese nationals, and a Myanmar worker were trapped in a tunnel following a landslide at 11.30pm on Saturday (August 24) in Pak Chong district’s Chan Thuek area.

The rescue team retrieved the body of the first worker, who is believed to be the Myanmar dump truck driver, on Thursday. Two more workers were later found lying not far from where the rescue team found the first body.

Polapat Karnasuta, director of Nawarat Patanakarn which is responsible for the construction, said the company would review the construction plan after the State Railway of Thailand ordered temporary suspension.

He said workers were in a state of shock after the tragedy, and were waiting for the situation to improve. He said he was not worried about the setting up of a committee to investigate the case.

“We believe that an investigation would be a good thing, so that people can know the cause of the incident,” he said, adding that the company had done its best to rescue the trapped workers. 

Caretaker Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul

Meanwhile, caretaker Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed his condolences on the deaths of the three workers.

The first worker died due to lack of oxygen, he said, adding that the autopsy of two remaining workers was expected to be completed on Friday.

“Our rescue operation is over and nobody wants such an accident to happen,” he said, “I would like to thank and praise the efforts of all rescuers and officials.”

He added that the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare would try to help relieve the pain of the relatives of the deceased workers.