Rescue teams are battling against time to save 15 workers trapped under rubble after a Bangkok building collapse caused by Friday’s earthquake. Officials confirm signs of life, but access is blocked. Distraught families wait for news as the death toll rises.
On Saturday, it emerged that Thailand is facing a race against time to rescue 15 trapped workers in the building which collapsed in Chatuchak after an earthquake struck on Friday afternoon. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Governor Chadchart Sittipunt confirmed that workers are alive. He said up to 400 workers are scrambling to reach the workers who are divided into three groups according to whereabouts in the building. At the same time, the death toll from the disaster will certainly rise with 13 additional deaths. In particular, these deaths have been confirmed by rescuers who appear to be in contact with the survivors. They are reported to be buried 3 meters underground and at this time cannot be reached to deliver food or water. However, scores more are still missing in the debris.
Thailand is waiting on a miracle as 400 workers toil at the Chatuchak site on Kamphaeng Phet Road in Bangkok, where 47 workers are still missing. On Friday, some 10 minutes after the main earthquake tremor hit from a magnitude 7.7 event in Myanmar, the 33-storey building collapsed. It is understood that when it caved in, it contained 81 workers.
One of those among the crowd at the site on Saturday was Deputy Auditor-General Sutthipong Boonnithi. At length, he confirmed that the building was to be the new headquarters for the State Audit Office.
Construction project was 30% complete before the earthquake brought down the 33-storey building
Previously, it had commenced in 2020 with a ฿2.1 billion contract awarded to Italian-Thai Development Plc and China Railway No. 1 (Thailand) Ltd.
The senior state official told reporters that the project was 30% complete when disaster struck. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt was at the site early on Saturday and had previously declared it a disaster zone.
Indeed the Bangkok governor slept on the job last night as the city responded to an unprecedented emergency.
He confirmed to reporters that life had been detected under the rubble, particularly in three out of four quadrants of the building. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration boss explained that the trapped people could be as deep down as 3 metres.
Therefore, the immediate work was to use powerful cranes to remove very heavy debris. After that, trucks would be required to remove rubble. On Saturday, there were reported to be 400 people working at the site.
At the same time, Mr Chadchart had ordered the Director of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to take charge of operations. Indeed, this is thought to be in response to reports of conflict.
Search teams report at least 15 people alive under rubble while 13 confirmed dead in disaster aftermath
Significantly, Mr Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), gave a briefing on the zones.
Based on quadrants, Zone A is reported to have 10 people still alive, while two are dead. Zone B reported seven people dead, with two alive. At this time, there are no reports of anyone in Zone C of the structure. However, in Zone D, three people are presently alive, while four are dead.
In brief, the rescue operation is at this time striving to bring out at least 15 people confirmed alive. At the same time, it has been confirmed that a further 13 people are dead. Certainly, this will bring the death toll to 22.
Meanwhile, it is thought there may still be an additional 47 people missing. Certainly, there were a lot of anxious and emotional people waiting outside the cordons on Saturday, relatives of those missing in the collapse waiting for news.
In the meantime, Mr Chadchart revealed that on Saturday, 130 volunteer engineers would begin conducting urgent surveys on tall buildings in Bangkok. Certainly, the priority at this time will be buildings in the Din Daeng-Huai Khwang area.
Engineers to assess the structural safety of buildings in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Pathum Thani after quake
In addition, engineers are being sent to individual assessments in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Pathum Thani. For example, in two condominium buildings in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao area, on Friday, officials refused to allow inhabitants of these buildings to reoccupy them. Indeed, there are other cases like this.
Mr Chadchart revealed that 300 Bangkokians had spent last night in the city’s parks. At length, they were supplied with drinking water by the municipal authorities. The city boss suggested that this may happen again on Saturday night.
The Bangkok governor was joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Phumtham Wechayachai. Mr Phumtham told workers that such an event as this was a once-in-a-hundred-year event.
Nonetheless, the government and officials would follow up. In short, there must be certainty that all buildings are safe and do not have any latent damage after yesterday’s quake tremor.
Rescue teams race against time as survivors remain trapped too deep to receive food or water supply
“Surveys will have to be conducted on hospitals, schools, and temples to see whether there are cracks or unsecured structures that are at risk of collapsing,” he said. “Bangkok is a concern because the land is muddy and vulnerable. Preliminary inspections have found that there are several spots where buildings have cracks.”
Meanwhile, Governor Chadchart told reporters that rescuers cannot yet send food or water to the trapped survivors. Basically, they are buried too deep to be accessible.
In summary, the city and the huge rescue teams are presently fighting a battle against time. Indeed, the lives of the 15 are hanging in the balance.
At the same time, Somsak Sadkaew, 67, a foreman for a contractor, told the media that the situation could have been far worse. Indeed, if the quake had occurred at 4 pm, the site would have had 170 workers within the building that crashed instead of 81.
Families of missing workers share harrowing stories as they cling to hope for rescue and survival
Nonetheless, that is no consolation for 39-year-old Chanphen Kaewnoi. Her 29-year-old younger sister Amporn Kaewnoi and her 61-year-old mother, Ms Nipa Makratok, were in the building as it began to fall.
Ms Chanphen told a horrifying tale. She had been speaking with her sister when their mother fell. Therefore, the younger sibling went back to help just before the collapse. The pair were on the 5th floor.
“I feel very heartbroken. However, I am waiting with hope because my mother and my sister love each other very much. I believe my sister saw her fall and went back to help. Now I can only pray that the vital signs that the officers found are my mother and my sister,” said Ms Chanphen.
Similarly, for a Burmese woman, Ms Naetsa, both she and her brother had been working on the project. In short, they tried to send money to their father. Her brother was missing after the building collapsed yesterday. He had been at work. She said that all she had at this time was the hope of a miracle.
Distraught relatives wait for news as they fear the worst but hold onto last hopes for a miracle rescue
A Thai wife and mother were with them. Her husband and son were on the 27th floor. On Friday, she was told by friends about the Chatuchak building collapse.
Certainly, she knew it was where her family worked as electricians. Afterwards, she phoned them, but there was no reply. Ms Narumon said she was heartbroken and feared the worst.
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“I still hoped that my husband and son would survive, but when I saw the collapsed building, I lost hope. But all that’s left is a miracle. I insist that no matter what condition my son, husband, and coworkers come out in, I will accept everything,” she said.
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