Building collapse: Debris height reduced to 7 metres, search mission to conclude this month
One additional body was recovered on Wednesday, along with remains believed to belong to approximately five other victims.
The search for trapped victims at the collapse site of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district is expected to conclude by the end of this month, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced on Thursday.
The under-construction 30-storey building on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road collapsed on March 28 due to the impact of an 8.2-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay, Myanmar, trapping over a hundred workers inside.
The BMA reported a total of 103 victims from the incident. Of these, 56 have been confirmed dead, nine were injured, and 38 remain missing.
On Thursday, Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the BMA’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, revealed that the height of the debris in Zones A and D stands at 9.25 metres, while Zones B and C have the highest remaining debris at 7.41 metres. On average, the overall debris height has been reduced to 7.88 metres, roughly equivalent to the sixth floor.
“If excavation can continue another 2 metres deeper, teams will reach the fire escape area—previously scanned by international rescue units—where it is believed some of the 38 trapped victims may be located,” he said.
Suriyachai stated that search operations are expected to accelerate as the terrain becomes less steep. In addition, cutting through steel and removing debris has become easier and faster.
Currently, crews are able to reduce the debris height by at least 1 metre per day. At this pace, the search and recovery operation is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
He noted that some machinery has suffered damage and requires on-site repairs, but operations are continuing to ensure uninterrupted efforts.
Suriyachai also reported that one additional body was recovered on Wednesday, along with remains believed to belong to approximately five other victims.
