Report BMA Vows to Locate Remaining Victims in Collapsed Chatuchak Building

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The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to finding all individuals trapped in the wreckage of the State Audit Office building as the rescue operation moves towards its final stages. The building, located in Chatuchak district, collapsed following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on March 28, resulting in a devastating loss of life.

 

Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej, speaking with CU Radio, assured the public that rescuers will continue their efforts until all missing persons are accounted for. "We are determined to find every one of them," Tavida stated, highlighting the unwavering resolve to locate the 34 individuals still unaccounted for from the initial 103 workers present during the collapse.

 

The disaster has so far resulted in the deaths of 60 people, with nine others injured, all of whom have since been discharged from medical care. The building, initially a towering 30-storey structure under construction, was reduced to piles of debris measuring 27 meters high, spread across 1.6 square kilometres on the day of the quake. Recent efforts have lowered the debris to a height of seven metres, as team members approach the ground floor.

 

 

 

Ms. Tavida anticipates that all ground floor debris will be cleared by month-end, with additional time in May dedicated to the basement area. The operation is intensely focused on zones B and C, where the majority of the bodies were recovered due to the building's collapse direction.

 

Further complicating the search are the missing individuals, among them three Myanmar citizens. Efforts are underway to obtain DNA samples from their relatives, with City Hall seeking assistance from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to connect with the families through the Thai embassy in Myanmar.

 

To date, over 100 body parts have been uncovered in the debris, and forensic experts at Police General Hospital are diligently working to match these remains with DNA samples from victims' relatives. The effort underscores the continued dedication to bring closure to families affected by this tragic event.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-04-25