So far no official reports have recognised the incident, which occurred at about 1:30pm, though a post online by the Phuket Info Center noted that it is believed the crane toppled as it was lifting too much weight.
Photos of the scene showed the crane arm had come down across the front of the building, bringing down steel support structures with it. Large concrete supports, presuambly waiting to be lifted into place, were on the ground in front of the crane.
The crane truck itself, brought in from Samut Prakan, had tipped fully, with all 12 wheels in the air.
The crane arm had landed on and crushed the driver’s side of the truck cab. The truck driver was standing nearby at the time, but his wife was still in the cab, sitting in the passenger seat.
She escaped with no injuries.
The truck driver later told reporters that it was a miracle she was not hurt. He also gave praise to an amulet of Luang Pho Daeng of Wat Rae in Thai Mueang District, Phang Nga, that he carries at all times.
According to the report, the shopping mall is scheduled to open ot the public next Wednesday (Sept 20).
UPDATE: The Robinson Public Company Limited Head Office in Bangkok today (Sept 14) issued the following statement, originally in Thai, about the incident:
14 September 2023
Subject: Clarifying the crane collapse incident
Dear media
On September 13, 2023 at 1:40pm, a crane fell on a truck while performing work in the area of Gate 3 at the Robinson Lifestyle Chalong Shopping Center, causing damage to the truck.
The rescue team was ready and the team rushed to inspect the scene and found that only the crane and truck were slightly damaged. After the incident The team coordinated with the contractor to proceed with vehicle recovery and to clear the area within the period of just half an hour.
However, Robinson Lifestyle Shopping Center is not complacent about the incident, which has been strictly enforced also contractors and related persons to prevent this kind of incident from happening again.
Best regards
Robinson Lifestyle Shopping Center