Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

 

In a hopeful twist amidst a tragic scene, the Phetkasem Foundation rescue team may have located a survivor deep beneath the collapse of the State Audit Office building in Bangkok. This comes two weeks after the deadly March 28 earthquake that shook Thailand following powerful tremors originating from Myanmar.

 

The flickering light, presumed to be from a mobile phone, was spotted three metres below the ruins in the still-under-construction Zone B of the building. This discovery, reported early on the morning of April 11, is a critical breakthrough in the ongoing effort to find survivors among the 71 individuals still missing.

 

Thus far, the disaster has claimed 23 lives and injured nine, with a total of 103 people affected. The Phetkasem Foundation shared the potential lead on their Facebook page, igniting a sense of urgency in the rescue mission. The post read, “Urgent! The rescue team found a light signal below, approximately 3 metres deep. It is believed that it may be a light signal from a survivor’s mobile phone in Zone B at 7.30am.”

 

Rescue workers reported that the light appeared to respond to their instructions, switching on and off, though no voice was detected. A rescuer noted the sound was similar to a Samsung phone being powered on and off, heightening hopes that there may still be life under the rubble.

 

 

 

By 8:50 am, despite no audible responses, the light continued to flash as directed, sustaining hopes of a survivor. Further bolstering these hopes was radar equipment detecting two bodies in Zone B—one located at a depth of approximately one metre, and another around three metres.

 

While a rescue under such circumstances seems daunting, experts highlight that survival for two weeks, although challenging, is possible under certain conditions. Access to water, even in tiny amounts, or finding a safe pocket with moisture or supplies could support life amid the debris.

 

The discovery has sparked renewed energy among the rescue teams working tirelessly to save lives. They are deploying cameras to verify the source of the signal, remaining cautiously optimistic that this flicker of light could lead to a remarkable rescue. With time as a critical factor, every effort is being made to capitalise on this promising lead, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-04-11

 

 

Almost impossible to survive 2 weeks without drinking. Mostly 8 days is already deadly.. and if injured they could have infections with sepsis as an extra danger.. so after 2 weeks ... Of course hope is always there but I think it is a false hope

Can anyone advise when (how long ago) was the last time that ANY LIVING SURVIVOR was rescued out of the SAOB pile of rubble?

 

There were some living rescues in the immediate aftermath of the building's collapse. But as the days have passed beyond that to the now two-week point, AFAIK, there have been few, if any, recent ones.

 

And 71 still counted as missing.

 

 

9 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Almost impossible to survive 2 weeks without drinking. Mostly 8 days is already deadly.. and if injured they could have infections with sepsis as an extra danger.. so after 2 weeks ... Of course hope is always there but I think it is a false hope

But there is hope... 

9 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Almost impossible to survive 2 weeks without drinking. Mostly 8 days is already deadly.. and if injured they could have infections with sepsis as an extra danger.. so after 2 weeks ... Of course hope is always there but I think it is a false hope

The rescue crews are constantly spraying the site with water so there is still hope.

19 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

The rescue crews are constantly spraying the site with water so there is still hope.

The survivor could have also had water with him when going up, it's hot and there's no 7-11 at the top of the building... though maybe a liter or so would not last very long...

Highly doubt anyone is alive after 2 weeks. And how could his cellphone still have battery power? 

We have to face reality this is no longer a rescue mission it’s a recovery mission let’s get the deceased out of the rubble so that families can hold funerals I read a report a few days ago of the possibility of a survivor but that was it no other mention I would think it highly unlikely that a mobile phone would still have a charged battery after two weeks . We can all hope and pray 

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

But there is hope... 

hope in one hand, and piss in the other. See if you have a handful of hope, or a handful of piss. 
 

Who would have thought “hey, I’m going to turn my phone off because I’m two weeks they will find me here so I will reboot my phone and they will see flashing light”. The light is going to be a reflection of the light from the end of their scope seeing a phone. They are just giving false hope to families. 

1 hour ago, norfolkandchance said:

The rescue crews are constantly spraying the site with water so there is still hope.

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/how-long-can-you-live-without-water

 

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

But there is hope... 

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/how-long-can-you-live-without-water

 

I’d rather go with my hope being dashed than to just give up and wait to collect the dead. 

Whilst being realistic, I still hope.

Nonsense as usual. Two weeks and they can’t clear one building with lots of people still missing. If they started removing a piece of rock at a time non-stop they would’ve saved all the live ones within a day or two.