Thread: Signs of life detected as rescue operations resume today at collapsed skyscraper

Search Teams Detect Life Signs at Collapsed Building in Chatuchak District

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt provided an update from the Chatuchak Incident Command Center on the ongoing rescue efforts following last week’s earthquake. Teams are focused on locating any potential survivors trapped beneath the collapsed structure.


Rescue volunteers discovered a small cavity within the debris and reported hearing possible signs of life from inside. Scanning teams later identified traces of a body, and sonar equipment detected signals after rescuers knocked on the rubble. Since then, crews have successfully removed approximately 60 tons of concrete slabs and are now carefully digging manually to avoid causing any further disturbances with vibrations. Heavy machinery has been paused until 13:00 hrs. to reduce risks to anyone who may still be alive.


The life signs were detected around three meters underground, near the rear parking structure. Governor Chadchart has instructed all personnel to proceed with the utmost caution. Medical teams, along with military and police units, remain on standby, ready to act swiftly if a rescue is achieved.


Efforts continue with strong coordination between Thai and international rescue teams. Officials highlighted the alignment of the response units and the steady progress being made, which has helped maintain morale among the personnel working in challenging conditions.

NBT WORLD - Search Teams Detect Life Signs at Collapsed Building in Chatuchak District

Search continues as death toll climbs to 17 in Chatuchak collapse

Two more bodies was recovered from zone B of the collapsed State Auditor Office high-rise in Chatuchak district late last night, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities to 17, with 78 people still unaccounted for.


The remains has been sent for autopsy.


The rescue and recovery operation is now in its 11th day, as teams work to locate those trapped under the rubble of the building, which collapsed when tremors from a strong quake in Myanmar struck Thailand on March 28.


Today's rescue efforts focused on zones A and C, as they are near a parking structure, where people are believed to have fled as the collapse occurred.


Heavy machinery is being used to clear rubble and create open spaces and channels, through which to locate those trapped. Sniffer dogs were also deployed to assist in the search.


Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said rescue teams from Canada have already arrived in Bangkok and begun assisting with the operation, while those from Japan will arrive soon.


Meanwhile, teams from Israel completed their mission yesterday. The governor bade them farewell at the site, during which an Israeli representative presented him with his armband.

Search continues as death toll climbs to 17 in Chatuchak col

Death toll in SAO building collapse climbs to 32

Thirty-two people are confirmed dead and 62 others are still listed as missing, as the search continues, following the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district on March 28th, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).


Surachai Veerawan, director of the BMA’s public disaster prevention and mitigation office, told the media today that rescuers, using machinery, managed to dig a 4m3 cavity into the debris, but still cannot reach the spot where a light signal was detected, due to a huge cement block, weighing about 10 tonnes, and a web of tangled steel rebar.


He said that the search was temporarily halted for safety reasons, as rescuers met to discuss how best to proceed.


Surachai also said that no more light or life signs have been detected since late yesterday.


Meanwhile, AIiyawut Ampai, head of the Ruam Katanyu Foundation rescue team, said that two more bodies were retrieved from zone C of the debris after midnight last night. The remains have been taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Police General Hospital for identification.

Death toll in SAO building collapse climbs to 32

Changed elevator shaft design may be behind SAO building collapse

The government-appointed investigating committee currently thinks that a change in the design of the elevator shaft of the State Audit Office building, reducing its wall thickness from 30cm to 25cm, may be the reason why the building collapsed when it was hit by tremors from an earthquake in Myanmar on March 28, according to Professor Amorn Pimanmas PhD, president of the Association of Structural Engineers.


He said the investigation will examine the details of the elevator shaft, including its design, how and by whom the design was changed and the quality of the concrete and rebar used in its construction.


The elevator shaft is the central core of a high-rise, Prof. Amorn explained, adding that it carries the weight of the building and a reduction of the thickness of the shaft may affect the structural soundness of the building.


As part of the investigation, he said they will invite those involved in the design, and any changes in design, the contractor and construction consultants for questioning to find out whether changes in the design were properly approved.


Dr. Amorn went on to say that the earthquake revealed weaknesses in some high rises in Bangkok and that their elevator shafts should be reassessed, to determine whether they could withstand similar or stronger tremors in the future.

Changed elevator shaft design may be behind SAO building col

All debris from collapsed SAO building to be cleared this month

The mound of debris from the collapsed SAO building has now been reduced from 26 metres to 20.5 metres high and is expected to be cleared this month. This will facilitate the recovery of any more bodies buried underneath, said Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt today.


He said that the search will continue for those still missing, and believed trapped in the remnants of the 24th to 29th floors, even though some private search and rescue teams may withdraw because they are needed elsewhere.


He said the city administration has about 500 personnel who will continue to work, until all the missing people are recovered and identified.


He asked relatives of any undocumented migrant workers among those still missing to provide DNA samples, to be taken by medical personnel for use in the identification process.


To date, the unofficial death toll has climbed to 40, with three more bodies recovered last night. 54 other people are still listed as missing.

All debris from collapsed SAO building to be cleared this mo

Engineer cited in SAO collapse says he declined job, never signed documents

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will question an environmental engineer today, who claims that he was not involved in the collapsed building project, despite his signature appearing on engineering documents.


The DSI is investigating the 30-storey State Audit Office (SAO) building failure on March 28, following a powerful earthquake in Myanmar.


As of today, the official death toll stands at 41, with 53 people still missing.


Somkiat Chusangsuk, 66, has filed a complaint with police, claiming that his signature on project documents was forged and that he had no involvement in the project. He submitted evidence to police yesterday to support his complaint, which was filed on
Sunday.


The documents allegedly show his signature as an engineer working with the PKW joint venture. PKW was the construction supervision consultant for the doomed SAO high-rise.


Somkiat said he only recently discovered the forged signature, when an online media outlet published the document. A friend saw his name and alerted him.


An employee of the joint venture had contacted him in 2020, inviting him to join the project, but he declined. He emphasised that he did not sign any documents or receive any payment.


One of the main reasons he turned down the offer to work as a consulting engineer was because he is serving as president of the Engineer Clinic, under the Engineering Institute of Thailand.


“I was concerned that, if I worked as an engineer on any project, it would lead to conflicts (of interest) and ethical issues,” he said.

Engineer cited in SAO collapse says he declined job, never s

Death Toll Rises to 42 in Collapsed State Audit Office Amid Ongoing Quake Rescue

Rescue efforts continued at the site of the collapsed Office of the State Audit building, which came down during a powerful earthquake in Myanmar on March 28th. The disaster has left 103 people affected, including 42 confirmed dead, two bodies pending identification, nine injured, and 50 still unaccounted for.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesperson Ekwaranyu Amrapal reported that since April 16th, efforts have focused on reducing the building’s rubble height—from 26 meters to 13 meters—making rescue operations more efficient.


Steel beams are now being cut faster using gas torches deployed across multiple points, with support from military, volunteer, and city teams.
Debris transport has also been ramped up with 22 trucks now operating, up from 14, allowing for 170 removal trips yesterday alone. Authorities are currently preparing new dumping areas to match the increased pace of debris clearance.

Meanwhile, structural damage assessments of nearby homes have been delayed as many owners are away for the Songkran holidays. Residents are urged to contact officials upon their return to schedule inspections.


While earlier delays were due to obstructive steel structures, the main challenge now is clearing rubble swiftly enough to keep up with the accelerated pace of operations. The mission remains on track for completion by the end of April.

Death Toll Rises to 42 in Collapsed State Audit Office Amid Ongoing Quake Rescue - The Pattaya News

Former SAO official provides evidence of irregularities in collapsed building project

A former official of the State Audit Office (SAO) has submitted evidence, to an investigating panel of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), allegedly implicating about 10 people of being involved in irregularities in the construction of the new SAO building, which collapsed on March 28th.


The unidentified informant was accompanied to the DSI yesterday by Panthep Puapongpan, dean of the Faculty of Oriental Medicine at Rangsit University.


Panthep pointed to several suspicious items pertaining to the project, from the change of construction site, from Pathum Thani to State Railway of Thailand property in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, the design of the building and subsequent changes in design to the selection of the contractor responsible for supervising the construction and procurement of materials.


Also yesterday, the Senate committee, tasked with investigating the collapse of the building, invited representatives of the contractors responsible for the design, namely the PKW joint venture, Forum Architect and Meinhardt, to testify.

Former SAO official provides evidence of irregularities in c