A construction crane collapsed at a factory site on Mar 29 in Pluak Daeng district, Rayong Province, resulting in the deaths of seven Myanmar workers and leaving many others injured. The incident occurred at a steel smelting plant currently under construction, boasting a workforce of about 3,000 and a registered capital of 6 billion baht. Following the tragedy, a tense standoff ensued between the workers’ relatives and the factory management over compensation demands.
The situation between the two sides reportedly escalated as the bereaved families and co-workers of the deceased workers prevented rescue teams from accessing the site to retrieve their bodies. The group initially demanded 5 million baht per victim from the construction company responsible for the project. As negotiations stalled, the confrontation grew, leading to a need for law enforcement and emergency reinforcements to secure the area.
The deadlock was broken late that evening when a delegation from the Worker Assistance Group for Myanmar (WAG) intervened. Their mediation led to a settlement, agreed upon inside the factory premises, which the waiting workers welcomed. The agreed compensation was 1.6 million baht for each of the deceased’s families, with the factory also committing to cover the full funeral costs. The amount was to be sourced from both the factory funds and social security benefits. The agreement facilitated the resumption of recovery operations, allowing for the remaining six bodies to be processed for autopsies.
With the compensation issue resolved, police said they are now set to investigate the incident, focusing on safety standards and practices at the construction site. (NNT)
