Accident Search Ends for Remaining Missing Victims in Collapsed Auditor-General’s Office

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Amarin

 

Authorities have officially ended the search for the remaining seven missing individuals following the collapse of the State Audit Office building in Bangkok. Although no additional bodies were found during the final sweep, over 100 body fragments are undergoing forensic analysis, which may help identify the remaining victims.

 

Mr. Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, announced that the final area of the site, beneath the basement-level lift shaft, had been fully cleared and no further human remains were discovered. The entire search operation has now concluded, with attention turning to the removal of debris and analysis of recovered remains.

 

Teams continue to transport rubble to a designated area, where daily inspections are carried out by K-9 units and specialist personnel during morning and evening shifts. On the evening of 9 May, a piece of human skull was found among the rubble. By the following morning, two additional bone fragments were recovered by a 57-member team and five sniffer dogs.

 

At present, a large mound of debris, nearly 10 metres high, remains at the site. For safety reasons and to ensure no fragments are overlooked, the mound will be reduced to approximately 6 metres using backhoes, with the excavation proceeding from the left side of the site.

Mr. Suriyachai confirmed that the area will be handed back to the State Audit Office by 15 May. The Chatuchak District Office has formally notified the agency of the scheduled return, while coordination is ongoing with the police to establish a timeline for further investigative procedures, including possible seizure of the site for continued forensic analysis. CCTV footage from the building remains in police custody for evidence.

 

When asked whether representatives of the State Audit Office had visited the site, Mr. Suriyachai confirmed that an insurance representative conducted a walkthrough with police officers to assess the building’s structural remains. Entry is still tightly controlled and subject to registration.

 

Although no intact bodies were recovered in recent days, the fate of the seven missing victims now hinges on forensic identification of over 100 body fragments. Machinery remains active on-site, focusing solely on clearing concrete and steel.

 

This incident has sparked national concern over building standards and oversight, especially as investigations into the collapse continue.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-05-11.

 

 

 

[Rimmer]

I asked AI how or why a body could become fragmented in a collapse such as this, it replied to me as follows:

 

Intuitively, one might expect rescuers to recover whole bodies in the aftermath of a building collapse. However, the presence of only body fragments rather than intact bodies suggests a very high-energy collapse or crushing event. Here's how that can happen:

1. Pancake Collapse or Heavy Structural Failure: If massive concrete slabs fall directly onto people—as in a vertical “pancaking” effect—it can pulverize human bodies, especially if the collapse was sudden and forceful. Bones and tissues can be fragmented beyond recognition.

2. Delayed Recovery and Decomposition: If bodies are trapped under rubble for days in a hot, humid environment like Bangkok, decomposition can advance rapidly. Combined with trauma, this can lead to disintegration of soft tissue, leaving only fragmentary remains.

3. Post-Collapse Movement: Heavy machinery used in rescue or debris removal operations might unintentionally further damage remains, especially if victims were already buried deeply or in unstable positions.