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Elevated Road Under Construction in Bangkok Collapses, At Least 5 Dead

Dangerous zone warning signs were posted to block off the area at the scene of an accident at an under-construction expressway, in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 March 2025. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK
Dangerous zone warning signs were posted to block off the area at the scene of an accident at an under-construction expressway, in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 March 2025. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK
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Elevated Road Under Construction in Bangkok Collapses, At Least 5 Dead

Dangerous zone warning signs were posted to block off the area at the scene of an accident at an under-construction expressway, in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 March 2025. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK
Dangerous zone warning signs were posted to block off the area at the scene of an accident at an under-construction expressway, in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 March 2025. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

An elevated road being built in Thailand’s capital Bangkok collapsed, killing at least five people, officials said.
The collapse, which happened in the early morning in southwestern Bangkok, also injured 24 other people at the construction site, said Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
Suriya offered his condolences and said victims would be compensated by contractors and relevant agencies. He said four workers and an engineer were killed, and no road users were affected as traffic lanes near the construction were closed at the time.
Bangkok police commander Siam Boonsom said authorities were still investigating to determine the cause of the collapse and that they would pursue legal actions against those found responsible.
Photos from the site showed that large metal and concrete structures fell on the ground and completely blocked the road, The Associated Press reported.
The construction of the 5-kilometer (3-mile) elevated road started in 2022, according to project information published on the website of the Expressway Authority of Thailand.
Surachet Laophulsuk, governor of the agency, said they were working to clear the debris as quickly as they could, but he said it might take a week. He added that the contractors working on the project were ordered suspended for 14 days pending the investigation.
Road and construction safety is a major problem in Thailand. The site of Saturday’s collapse is a part of a major road connecting Bangkok to Thailand’s south, which has been a subject of controversy over its prolonged construction and frequent fatal accidents.
Suriya said the transportation ministry is in the process of issuing new regulations that would suspend contractors found liable for construction accidents and blacklist them from bidding on future government projects.

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Netanyahu Says He Will Seek to Dismiss the Head of Israel’s Internal Security Service

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
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Netanyahu Says He Will Seek to Dismiss the Head of Israel’s Internal Security Service

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday he will seek to dismiss the head of the country's internal security service this week, following a power struggle over the Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu said in a statement he has had “ongoing distrust” with Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, and “this distrust has grown over time.”

The Shin Bet is responsible for monitoring Palestinian armed groups, and recently issued a report accepting responsibility for its failures around the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. But it also criticized Netanyahu, saying failed government policies helped create the climate that led to it.

The tensions boiled over this weekend when Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, said he would release sensitive information about Netanyahu if it is found that the prime minister had broken the law. Netanyahu accused Argaman of blackmail and filed a police complaint.

The Shin Bet did not have an immediate response to Netanyahu's announcement.

Netanyahu has resisted calls for an official state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack and has tried to blame the failures on the army and security agencies. In recent months, a number of senior security officials, including a defense minister and army chief, have been fired or forced to step down.

Bar had been one of the few remaining senior security officials since the Oct. 7 attack to remain in office.

Netanyahu said removing Bar from his position would help Israel “achieve its war goals and prevent the next disaster.” The prime minister is expected to appoint a loyalist in his place, slowing any momentum for the commission of inquiry.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a good-governance civil society group, called Netanyahu’s announcement a “declaration of war on the rule of law” and claimed that he does not have the authority to take the step against Bar because of investigations into his own office.

Netanyahu is also angry that the Shin Bet is investigating members of his staff for their dealings with Qatar. The Shin Bet, and Bar, have been closely involved with the hostage negotiations during the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu recently removed Bar from the negotiating team and replaced him with a loyalist, Cabinet minister Ron Dermer. Israeli media have reported on deep policy differences between the negotiators, who have pushed for a hostage deal, and Netanyahu, who continues to threaten to resume the war.