Paetongtarn visits families of collapsed building victims

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visited the relatives of workers affected by the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building on Wednesday morning. She met them at temporary shelters set up near the disaster site in Chatuchak, Bangkok.

Paetongtarn spent around 15 minutes inside the tents, offering condolences and speaking with grieving families.

The relatives, who travelled from several provinces, were given temporary accommodation near the wreckage of the SAO building, which collapsed following an 8.2-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on 28 March.

Government Pledges Full Support for Victims’ Families

During her visit, Paetongtarn urged waiting relatives to take care of their health, reminding them to eat and drink to avoid falling ill.

She assured them that her government would provide full support and assistance.

She was received at the site by Pol Gen Adis Ngamjitsuk, an advisor to the Bangkok governor, who represented the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

Paetongtarn told him that if the BMA required additional support from the central government, they could directly inform her.

Rescue Efforts Continue: 72 Still Missing

As of Wednesday morning, rescue teams reported that 72 workers were still missing. The confirmed death toll rose to 15 after another body was recovered late Tuesday night.

Rescuers have now begun using cranes to lift heavy concrete slabs from the debris in Zone B of the collapsed structure. Foreign rescue experts believe this area might contain a void or burrow where survivors could still be trapped.

On Tuesday, search teams scanned Zones B and C using advanced equipment, detecting approximately 12 bodies within the rubble.

Rescue Teams Focus on Zone B for Possible Survivors
Efforts on Wednesday continued to prioritise Zone B, where workers used drilling machines to pierce thick walls and get as close as possible to the suspected trapped victims.

Authorities Investigate Structural Integrity of Collapsed Building

Meanwhile, officials from the Interior Ministry’s Public Works and Town & Country Planning Department arrived at the disaster site for an initial structural inspection.

The team is assessing how to safely extract iron bar samples from the wreckage for a formal investigation into the building’s collapse.

However, officials stated they must first consult safety experts to determine which zones are safe to enter for sample collection.