Additional thirteen corpses discovered at collapsed government structure in Bangkok
Caution needed in State Audit Office probe
Rescue teams, working tirelessly, discovered a grim tally of 13 more bodies on Friday in the wreckage of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok's Chatuchak district. This brings the death toll to 74, with nine injuries and approximately 20 people still missing.
In the devastated Zone D, rescue teams found these unfortunate souls using heavy machinery. Moreover, traces of additional remains and smaller body parts were detected, adding up to 41 cases in the area, shared Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, during Friday morning briefings.
Access to Zone C has been hindered due to a four-meter height and concerns about the building's structural stability. There are suspicions that the third-floor walkway might have collapsed into a deeper area below, potentially housing more victims.
Undeterred, the rescue teams have reinforced their equipment, aiming to reach unreachable locations buried under the rubble.
The scene of a collapsed building, a month after a devastating earthquake, was captured on Monday in Bangkok, illustrating the ongoing tragedy.
Investigations are underway focusing on the building's elevator, considered a potential catalyst for the collapse. Suriyachai mentioned that the area will be sealed off on Friday to allow engineers from the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning to inspect the walls and elevator shafts for evidence.
Intriguingly, investigators have pointed out that the lift shaft's walls in the 2.1-billion-baht tower are thinner than those in other comparable buildings.
The search operations will continue until the debris clearing is completed, expected by the end of the month, according to the Bangkok official. The 30-story SAO headquarters was the only high-rise structure to collapse in Bangkok on March 28 when an earthquake originating in Myanmar shook the Thai capital.
Spotlight on Construction:The investigation into the building's collapse is progressing, with some significant concerns emerging.
- Building Design and Quake Resistance: Initially, the SAO claimed the building was designed to withstand earthquakes. However, it was the sole structure to collapse during the 8.2-magnitude earthquake centered in Myanmar on March 28, 2025.
- Contract Termination: At the time of the collapse, the SAO was in the process of terminating the construction contract due to delays.
- Investigation by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI): The DSI is conducting a thorough investigation, examining the construction's integrity. They have seized numerous construction documents, including contracts, blueprints, financial records, and work logs from both Chinese and Thai engineers.
As this investigation progresses, questions about construction safety in Bangkok's high-rise buildings, especially their ability to withstand earthquakes, are increasingly being asked. However, no definitive conclusions about the elevator or the building's structure have been reached as of yet.
- Investigators are focusing on the thin walls of the lift shaft in the SAO building, considered a potential factor in the collapse.
- Despite the ongoing tragedy, the search operations for victims in the rubble of the collapsed SAO headquarters will continue until the end of the month.
- The investigation into the collapse of the SAO building is shedding light on construction safety concerns, particularly in relation to earthquake resistance, in Bangkok's high-rise buildings.
- The General News and Crime & Justice sections have been highlighting the progress of the investigation into the collapsed SAO building in Bangkok's Chatuchak district, including the potential role of the elevator and the building's structural integrity.
