Investigation into the collapsed Bangkok skyscraper moves at an unacceptable pace, according to the Prime Minister
The snail's pace of the investigation into the colossal State Audit Office building collapse that claimed numerous lives is raising eyebrows, despite initial promises of an astonishingly swift inquiry. According to the Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, this seemingly perpetual delay is unacceptable.
During her weekly radio show, the prime minister expressed her dismay about the 90-day timeframe required by the Department of Public Works and Town & City Planning to conclude their probe. The department justified this accelerated timeline by comparing it with the normal two-year investigation time for similar incidents. However, from the prime minister's perspective, 90 days is still an excessively long period.
With lives at stake, the government should have uncovered the primary cause of this devastating disaster by now, the prime minister asserted. "It's high time we had some answers about the tragic building collapse and shocking fatalities," she declared emotively.
The Department of Public Works and Town & City Planning, along with four other organizations, are conducting independent investigations to decipher the cause of this calamity. They plan to compare their findings once they are completed to ascertain the root cause.
Tragedy struck on March 28 when a 30-story State Audit Office building in Chatuchak district, Bangkok, buckled under the shock of a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that ravaged Myanmar.
The Bangkok deputy governor reported on Sunday that the rubble removal process has advanced to the basement of the tower, resulting in an increased death toll to 109, as updated information from the police indicates.
Forensic authorities shared that out of the 109 casualties, the wreckage has yielded 100 bodies, with 63 of those being identified. Of the identified victims, 46 hailed from Thailand, while the rest—15 from Myanmar, one from Cambodia, and one from Laos—were foreign nationals.
Due to the complexity of the incident, the vast number of fatalities, the debris removal challenges, and the coordination required among various agencies, the investigation has proven to be a lengthy process. Furthermore, the investigation involves scrutinizing architectural and engineering design revisions, compliance with procurement laws, possible use of substandard materials, and ensuring adherence to design specifications such as the reduced elevator shaft width.
Despite the myriad complexities that have naturally prolonged the timeline, the Thai government remains resolute in its commitment to a comprehensive, thorough investigation and legal actions against all parties involved.
- The prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has stated that the slow progress of the investigation into the Bangkok building collapse, which occurred on March 28 in Chatuchak district and has resulted in 109 confirmed deaths, is unacceptable.
- The independent investigations undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Town & City Planning, along with four other organizations, will likely take a considerable amount of time due to the complexity of the case and the large number of fatalities.
- The prime minister has emphasized the need for answers regarding the cause of the building collapse and the tragic fatalities, expressing her dismay about the extended 90-day timeframe required for the investigation.
- In addition to investigating the architectural and engineering design revisions, compliance with procurement laws, potential use of substandard materials, and adherence to design specifications, the investigations will also likely look into the possibility of political influence, given that the building collapse coincided with general news and car-accident headlines involving politics.
