Collapsed building – Day 19: Rain slows search for victims
No additional bodies were discovered on Wednesday – fatalities remain at 44.
Heavy rain on Wednesday morning has slowed the search for missing persons following the collapse of a 30-story building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) reported.
The under-construction State Audit Office (SAO) 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.
No additional bodies were discovered on Wednesday, the 19th day of the search and rescue mission, according to a city official.
The BMA has reported a total of 103 victims from the incident. Of those, 44 have been confirmed dead, nine were injured, and 50 remain missing.
Officials said the rain has flooded search areas with water and mud, hampering efforts to access the inner zones of the building structure.
On Wednesday, the BMA planned to use gas-powered torches to cut slings that are blocking access to Zones A, B, C, and D, allowing drilling and metal-cutting vehicles to enter the interior sections.
Tavida Kamolvej, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, stated that 91 out of the 103 victims have been successfully identified using DNA analysis and data from the Immigration Bureau.
She added that the BMA has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the Myanmar Embassy in order to obtain additional information to aid in the identification process.
Tavida also noted that the Interior Ministry will provide a funeral allowance of 100,000 baht for each of the deceased, with disbursements beginning Friday (April 18).
