Bangkok building collapse: 32 confirmed dead, 62 still missing
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Thai rescue workers and soldiers carry a victim's body retrieved during a search operation in Bangkok on April 12.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
BANGKOK - A total of 32 people have been confirmed dead, while 62 others remain missing following the collapse of a 30-storey building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) reported on April 12.
The under-construction State Audit Office (SAO) building on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road collapsed on March 28 due to the impact of an 8.2-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay
Two more bodies were discovered in Zone C on April 11, the 15th day of the search and rescue mission, a city official said.
The BMA reported a total of 103 victims from the incident. Of those, 32 have been confirmed dead, nine were injured, and 62 remain missing.
At the front area of the collapsed building, officials from the Forensic Science Division, the Department of Special Investigation, the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning, along with representatives from China Railway No. 10 – one of the SAO building’s contractors – entered the site for inspection on April 12.
Mr Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said that officials are still unable to access the area where a light signal was detected on April 11, adding that excavation under the foundation may be necessary.
“There are obstacles in the operation: a thick concrete slab weighing over 10 tonnes, as well as steel reinforcements. The area above is also steep, raising concerns that the slab could collapse. Officials will meet today to discuss safety measures during the operation,” he said.
Mr Suriyachai added that air has been pumped into the cavity to help any potential survivors breathe. However, he confirmed that no vital signs have been detected so far and only a blinking light was observed. THE NATION THAILAND/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
