China has said it is verifying information surrounding the deadly crane collapse in Thailand, stressing that it places high importance on the safety of overseas projects and personnel.
At a daily press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing is closely monitoring the situation. She noted that, based on China’s current understanding, the section of the railway where the accident occurred was being constructed by a Thai company.
“The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety of projects and personnel,” Mao said, adding that authorities are working to establish the full facts of the incident.
The accident occurred during construction works on a US$5.4 billion high-speed rail project intended to link Bangkok with Kunming in southwestern China. The railway forms part of broader regional connectivity efforts between Thailand and China.
Officially known as the Bangkok–Nong Khai High-Speed Rail Development for Regional Connectivity, project documents indicate that the Lam Takhong–Sikhio section—where the crane collapse occurred—is being handled by Italian-Thai Development Company.
Italian-Thai Development is one of Thailand’s largest construction firms and was also responsible for a building in Bangkok that collapsed during an earthquake last March. In that case, the company’s president, along with several designers and engineers, were charged with professional negligence.
Representatives of Italian-Thai Development Company have been contacted for comment, but no response has been issued as of publication.
