No need to demolish fire-ravaged building, says expert
THE Engineering Institute of Thailand has said after an inspection that the fire-ravaged high-rise in Bangkok’s Yannawa district can be saved.
An elderly resident of the home died in the blaze on Friday when she was trapped on the sixth floor balcony.
Suchatvee Suwansawat, the president of the institute, revealed after a 30-minute inspection that the fire started on the third floor near a kitchen and rapidly spread to higher floors due to the building’s wooden stairwell.
He said there was little damage on the first and second floors but severe damage from floors three to seven, especially the roof of the seventh floor, which is the floor of the eighth floor.
A crack was found on the roof of the seventh floor and it needed to be demolished and relaid.
Suchatvee said there were no fire extinguishers and fire alarms in the building, as it was constructed in 1991 when the building control law was not yet implemented.
He said further investigation would be done over the next week to get a more accurate assessment.
Suchatvee added that many buildings were constructed before the building control law was enacted, so the owners of those buildings needed to ensure that they complied with the law.
He also said there was a need to educate people on ways to reduce the risk of fires and how to respond if a fire broke out, he said.
The institute was joined yesterday by representatives from the Council of Engineers, the Building Safety Inspectors and Officer Association, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
The building is located on Narathiwat Soi 18, and is owned by former Ranong senator Vikrom Aisiri.
