After lengthy discussions, employees at a construction site in Rayong’s Pluak Daeng district, where a crane fell and killed seven individuals yesterday, have given permission for the police and rescue teams to get the bodies of their deceased coworkers.
The workers, primarily from Myanmar, unlocked the site this morning after the company in charge of the construction agreed to provide compensation of Bt1.6 million to the families of each person who died.
Right after the crane fell, around 5pm, 600 surviving workers blocked the entrance of the site and surrounded the vehicles of the police and rescue crews who wanted to enter the site to provide urgent care.
The employees were requesting a meeting with the owners of the company regarding compensation before allowing the authorities in.
The police started discussions with the workers’ leaders, with representatives from the Worker Assistance Group for Myanmar (WAG) serving as mediators. During the talks, the dead bodies and injured workers remained inside.
A representative from WAG later disclosed that negotiations with the employers had been completed with the families of each victim signing an agreement, under which they will be paid Bt1.6 million in compensation from employers’ funds and the Social Security Office.
The initial payment of Bt500,000 will be made immediately, with the remainder to be paid in installments over three months. The employers will also cover the funeral expenses.
A 34-year-old Myanmar worker stated that several accidents have occurred at the site, but this was the most severe. He recounted witnessing the crane fall onto the scaffolding where his coworkers were working.
The number of deaths from the accident has increased to seven, including six from Myanmar and one Chinese national.
The bodies were brought to Rayong police station for identification. This morning, police entered the site to investigate the cause of the accident.
