BANGKOK, May 7 – Three men were killed as they fell from the 68th floor of Thailand’s tallest building, Baiyoke Tower II, as a cable supporting the platform carrying the workers installing the billboards parted.
The accident occurred when five billboard installation workers were on their platform alongside the exterior of the building. Three men dropped immediately after the cable supporting the platform tore apart.
The other two who grasped a handhold of the platform survived, but were seriously wounded.
The three victims crashed to their deaths at different levels of the building: the first to the 36th floor, the second to the 20th floor and the third to the 18th floor.
Ploenjit Kongudom, 30, one of the survivors, said he and his colleagues started installing the new printed advertising in the morning and took a lunch break.
Mr Ploenjit said the five workers then resumed their work in the afternoon from floor 81 to floor 68 when the platform broke. The three men standing in the middle of the platform plunged to their death.
He and his friend were able to reach out and grab the handhold in time and called for help from persons inside the building.
Mr Ploenjit admitted that none of them wore any protective sling or belt for their safety, although they did every time before working and did not inspect before the operation whether the platform was in good condition or not.
Baiyoke Tower II is the tallest building in Thailand, located on Rathaprarob Road in Bangkok. It has 88 floors and rises to a height of 304 metres.
