5 Trapped In Bangkok Building Collapse

[george]

5 trapped in Bangkok building collapse

Thai rescues try to search for firefighters trapped inside the building that collapsed in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday Jan 9,2005. A six-story building collapsed in the Thai capital Sunday about two hours after it caught fire, trapping about five firefighters inside the wreckage, police said.

BANGKOK, Thailand -- A six-story building caught fire and collapsed in the Thai capital Sunday, trapping five firefighters inside the wreckage, police said.

The fire started on the fourth floor of the Union Saenthong commercial building, near Bangkok's main Hualamphong train station, police said. The fifth and sixth floors were residential quarters.

"The fire burned in the building for about two hours before it collapsed," said Maj. Suttipong Sukperm of the Pathumwan district police station. "Some two or three firemen were injured, and about five others are believed to be trapped inside."

He said it was not known whether the firefighters believed trapped inside were dead or alive.

--Agencies 2005-01-10

[george]

Rescuers trapped as building collapses

BANGKOK: -- Eleven police and rescue workers were trapped under burning rubble yesterday after a five-storey city building caved in after catching fire.

The Pathumwan building housed an automobile parts company and fell down after firemen had almost brought the blaze under control.

At press time, seven had been rescued, leaving four still under the debris.

The building owned by United Union Part Co on soi 1 off Rama VI road near Charumuang intersection caught fire about 1.30pm. The incident drew 12 fire engines, fire brigade police and rescue workers.

As they brought the blaze under control at 3.40pm, firemen noticed the building was starting to subside and sent in an order to evacuate immediately. Only minutes after the order, the building collapsed and the fire kicked up again.

Pol Sgt Maj Luechai Nantawong and Pol Sgt Worachit Monkham who were spraying water from the aerial ladder of their fire engine fell to the ground as the building collapsed. They were taken to Huachiew General Hospital.

Metropolitan police chief Pol Lt-Gen Parnsiri Praphawat and his deputies Pol Maj-Gen Krisada Phankhongchuen and Pol Maj-Gen Montri Chamroon took charge of the rescue. Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin showed up at 4.30pm.

Rescue worker Somboon sae Lu, 30, said he, four colleagues and Pol Capt Suradej Chuatin from the Suan Mali fire station were inside when they heard the call to evacuate.

They tried to run out but darkness inside slowed them down. Mr Somboon said he heard the building crack. He and his colleagues managed to flee before the building collapsed but Pol Capt Suradej did not make it.

Mr Apirak sent in heavy machinery to remove the debris. He believed the building might have been modified without permission.

Saeng-arun Thanadamrongsakdi, the 52-year-old owner of the auto parts company, said he was resting on the fifth floor when Sompong Wongsa, his security guard, told him the place was on fire.

He ran downstairs, past the flames on the fourth floor where parts were stored, then left and alerted police. No other staff were inside, as the company was closed for the day.

Pichit Ratanapirommas, a 28-year-old rescue worker who narrowly escaped the collapse, said 11 rescue workers and police were on the first floor when the building fell down. He said they were about to climb to the mezzanine floor but spotted large cracks. The building came down just before they could withdraw.

He was trapped under a concrete beam next to a glass wall through which he could be seen from outside. Rescuers managed to break through the glass wall and reach him.

Four of his 11-man group had been rescued but seven others _ four rescue volunteers and three firefighters _ were still trapped.

Flames were still strong at 8.30pm while officials were trying to remove the debris in attempts to reach the trapped victims. Rescue workers tried to advance through the back of the building.

Three more firefighters were brought out unconscious at 9pm. Smoke was still billowing at 10pm. The building was packed with auto parts and accessories, fuel on which the flames fed.

--Bangkok Post 2005-01-10

[sas_cars]

I saw the scene by myself.Very horrible.The smokes were very high,even covering the toll way of Rama 9 near it.

[peder.klockmann]

My thoughts and prayrs are with them and thier families.

343 Never forget

[Jimmy in Bangkok]

I too was driving past on the toll way at the time and realized anything with that much smoke in a packed residential/industrial area could not be a good sign. Thankfully it wasn't a working day or the numbers of injured or missing may have been a lot worse. My condolences go out to all those families who lost someone in the fire. It is a pretty thankless task the firefighters do and they generally don't get a great deal of recognition for their job until, as yesterday shows, something goes terribly wrong. May they rest in peace.

[astral]

A sad event.

The collapse does not say much for Thai building standards!!

[Bangkok Black Cat]

A sad event.

The collapse does not say much for Thai building standards!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So, you might as well say that the collapse of the twin towers in New York did not say much for American building stndards ....

[Schmeen]

If the fire is burning for two hours it will seriously weaken the structural steelwork.

Thai building regs probably don't call for the structural steelwork to be fire coated.

The regs may be less stringent than other places but for a building to fall after 2 hours doesn't mean that the actual building was constructed poorly.

[Thanh-BKK]

It is not the first building in BKK that collapses after a rather short fire in a rather small area of the building. As i have seen it only on TV but it looked like only one floor was actually burning (at least smoke billowed out only from one floor, and no flames at all in sight, and the other floors didn't look blackened or any other sign that they have been burning earlier)

The thing is that many commercial buildings in Thailand are allowed for a number of storeys, yet they get modified either during initial construction (say, instead of the permitted 4 floors we build 6 or 7) or after a few years "in service" by putting a few additional floors on top of it. Of course the piles and steel and all that stuff (i am NOT an architect/static engineer!) are planned and constructed only to carry the load of the originally planned number of floors!

So even if there is a "minor" fire (by western standards, sorry to say so) the structure gets weakened enough to be unable to carry the illegal additional load, so the building will collapse.

About the WTC towers, someone mentioned them (again, i am not american either but the incident made me interested in construction issues), they not only have been burning, but over quite a number of floors at once, and over the full area of the respective fllors, fuelled by over hundred tons of jet fuel (same as heating oil essentially, and why's that called HEATING oil??) after being crashed into by rather large aircraft which took away almost the entire load-carrying ability of the respective side of the tower AND having suffered a large explosion INSIDE the building (imagine an aircraft the size of a 767 disintegrating into a building!)

Heaven beware but would Bajoke II still be standing after being hit by an aircraft? I seriously doubt it.

it is about time that the building construction laws are enforced, and illegally modified buildings should be torn down immediately (and not "re-modified" since THAT causes collapses as well, not too long ago in BKK, which cost innocent lives too!) before more people have to die, be it tenants, passers-by or firefighters.

My condolences to the families of the victms........

(And for once, i wish that, like in the U.S., the families could sue the living daylight out of the illegal builders).

Regards

Thanh.

[marquess]

And for once, i wish that, like in the U.S., the families could sue the living daylight out of the illegal builders).

Here here to that! It seems to be the only way in which people learn.

[qualtrough]

I heard on TV that the building owner had illegally added two floors to the building. The news also mentioned two or three previous fires that had caused collapses in BKK, all in buildings that had illegal additions.

Brings to mind a story about PM Sarit that I have heard. Apparently Chinese New Years was the occasion of a lot of insured buildings mysteriously burning down each year . The story is he went out and summarily shot the owner of one such building and the fires pretty much stopped after that. Anybody know if that is true or not?

[PvtDick]

The company that occupied that building was probably the number one most notorious exporter of counterfeit automobile parts in Thailand. They had no concern for the safety of the people that bought those parts, so it is not surprising they had little concern for the safety of the people who worked in that building day in and day out.

Strange coincidence -- or not -- that the last big fire in Bangkok several months ago was also the sweatshop of a notorious counterfeiter. (No, I didn't have anything to do with it!)

[MISTYS]

A sad event.

The collapse does not say much for Thai building standards!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So, you might as well say that the collapse of the twin towers in New York did not say much for American building stndards ....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I dont know who you are but if your an American, shame on you for saying that. And if your not an American. The Twin Towers DID NOT collapse because of just a fire!!!! I found your comment very offensive, rude and almost child like. You or anyone else can not compare what happened to the Twin Towers and the Building in Bangkok. That is just plain stupid.

[DaveYo]

Mistys, I will say something to you here. The collapse of the TWIN TOWERS was caused by FIRE being fueled by JET FUEL, in the thousands of gallons. Besides that the towers were built to withstand a direct hit from a 707 jet, and todays jets are 3 to 5 times larger and carrying jet fuel in the high 60's in thousands of gallons.. Also the towers were built on steel and glass and some concrete.

So when that plane hit the tower it hit just about right. Took out half of the side of the tower which means the other half was holding about 1/8th of the building above it. Combined with no structural support on one side and with the intense heat melting those steel beams, something had to give and when the collapsed began all that weight above it made it a perfect domino effect downward to the ground.

Nothing is rude about this man, it is plain facts and it is you the person who refuses to accept facts.

These buildings here in Thailand do get their approval, but there is so much cost cutting and material cutting on many areas that itself creates a danger over the span of time and the way it is added it is not added to be stucturally safe for additional weight. Now this place had a fire, and most buildings here in Thailand are built of concrete and steel mesh inside the concrete itself to give it more strength. Number two----> fire cannot destroy concrete. So technically it means that this concrete was cracking for quite some time and the way they are built which should surprise many of you here they are built crooked. None of these buildings are built straight and true like in other countries such as in America. Also the concrete ratio mix is never correct thus reducing its true strength. The only place you will be seeing true strength concrete is their airport runways, and toll bridges and some roads around Bangkok.

Since Thailand has plate faults around itself, if those plates move just right, yes an earthquake can happen in Thailand itself, and when it does, I hope to hella I am not inside the city limits itself. Those buildings will be coming down by the thousands without batting an eye. Bangkok may be one of the largest cities around the world, but they are also primed to be one of the biggest disasters the world will ever encounter should a quake take place in Thailand around Bangkok. The death toll will be astonishing high.

So you owe an apology to one member here for sure without a doubt

Daveyo

[MISTYS]

Mistys,  I will say something to you here.  The collapse of the TWIN TOWERS was caused by FIRE being fueled by JET FUEL, in the thousands of gallons.  Besides that the towers were built to withstand a direct hit from a 707 jet, and todays jets are 3 to 5 times larger and carrying jet fuel in the high 60's in thousands of gallons..  Also the towers were built on steel and glass and some concrete. 

So when that plane hit the tower it hit just about right.  Took out half of the side of the tower which means the other half was holding about 1/8th of the building above it.  Combined with no structural support on one side and with the intense heat melting those steel beams, something had to give and when the collapsed began all that weight above it made it a perfect domino effect downward to the ground.

Nothing is rude about this man, it is plain facts and it is you the person who refuses to accept facts.

These buildings here in Thailand do get their approval, but there is so much cost cutting and material cutting on many areas that itself creates a danger over the span of time and the way it is added it is not added to be stucturally safe for additional weight.  Now this place had a fire, and most buildings here in Thailand are built of concrete and steel mesh inside the concrete itself to give it more strength.  Number two---->  fire cannot destroy concrete.  So technically it means that this concrete was cracking for quite some time and the way they are built which should surprise many of you here they are built crooked.  None of these buildings are built straight and true like in other countries such as in America.  Also the concrete ratio mix is never correct thus reducing its true strength.  The only place you will be seeing true strength concrete is their airport runways, and toll bridges and some roads around Bangkok.

Since Thailand has plate faults around itself, if those plates move just right, yes an earthquake can happen in Thailand itself, and when it does, I hope to hella I am not inside the city limits itself.  Those buildings will be coming down by the thousands without batting an eye.  Bangkok may be one of the largest cities around the world, but they are also primed to be one of the biggest disasters the world will ever encounter should a quake take place in Thailand around Bangkok.  The death toll will be astonishing high.

So you owe an apology to one member here for sure without a doubt

Daveyo

   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not denying anything. From what I understand, and please correct me if I'm wrong. The fire that happened in Bangkok was not delibrately started, Correct? I'm well aware of what happened to the Twin Towers. And aware of what they could and could not withstand. All I'm saying to that person was do not compare the building structures of that in Bangkok to those here in the US. No man should have ever had to think about building codes that would suport a structure after it was hit by not one but two jets. And what facts are you saying I'm refusing to see. Facts are facts.

[Zoltan]

I dont know about the building standards In Bkk but im sure there is always room for improvement.

[Martin]

I was once a County Councillor and took an interest in the workings of the West Yorkshire Fire Brigade. It gave me a great respect for firemen. The area of a major fire is not called the fireground for nothing. It really is analagous to a battle ground.

Bangkok firemen must be particularly brave to do it when they know that they can't rely on building-construction regulations to have been adhered to.

I am glad to see that the Professional Engineers Assiociation is making a lot of noise about improving building regulations and getting them enforced. Let us remember this tragedy whenever we are tempted to moan about Planners and Bureaucrats. Modern urban living requires effective planning and bureaucracies.

But to be fair, Thailand is coming on (in getting its act together) pretty well (despite a lot of what one reads in this forum). The Western nations took a lot longer to get their acts together.

[Golf]

The government officers almost alway said they need to get serious after every big incident. It's all craps. When I was 10, I did believe it. Not any more. "Oh, we need to crack down all those illegal buildings.", it's just a tactic to calm people down. In three months, everything will be back as this tragic event never happened before.

I still remember when I was 12. The building just stood next to my father shop was on fire. It was 11:00 pm. and the fire was so strong. We (my Mom, Dad, 4 sisters, 2 brothers and I) ran down to the street and looked at the event. We wished our shop wouldn't be next. My father ran to one of the firefighters who was holding the water hose and asked him to spray our building too so it wouldn't burn. Do you know what his said to my father? He said, "we do not have enough water in the truck to cover your building." my father asked him back, "but our building will be on fire too if you do nothing." He smiled, "3000 baht, and I will water your building." I couldn't believe what I heard and I still remember it until today.

25 years later, Bangkok governor, Apirak, confirms that it's still the same. He confirms that, in this latest incident, there was "some" firefighters as for a money from nearby building owners who begged them to protect their buildings too. Ahhh...I felt like I travel back through time to when I stood still watching my father shop nearly caught on fire when my father had to pay his 3000 baht to that bastard.

[george]

Owner denies modifications, puts blame on weight of water

BANGKOK: -- The owner of the building which collapsed in flames on Sunday has denied making any modification and blamed the cave-in on an extra weight of water after two hours of hosing down by firefighters.

Saeng-arun Thanadamrongsakdi reported to Pathumwan police yesterday to acknowledge the charge of having the building modified illegally. He was later released on bail of 200,000 baht.

Pol Lt-Col Arkom Chantanalart, deputy chief of Pathum police station, said after questioning Mr Saeng-arun that if there was proof that the fire had resulted from negligence, the owner would face another charge.

Mr Saeng-arun yesterday said he had never had the United Union Part company building expanded or modified, insisting that the building already had six floors when he bought it in 1991. He paid building taxes every year and public works officials who inspected the building annually had never made any reservations about its structure. However, the Engineering Institute of Thailand said the building originally had four floors and three more floors were illegally added to it later.

There were a lot of cardboard boxes kept inside the building and the water they soaked up after two hours of hosing down by firefighters created an extra load which, when combined with extreme heat, caused the building to collapse, he said.

He had insured the building and assets inside for 8 million baht and 20 million baht respectively, but the total amount of compensation would not even be enough to cover the value of his assets, he said.

He promised to pay 200,000 baht to the family of the dead firefighter, Pol Capt Suradet Chuatin, and 100,000 baht each to the relatives of the three dead rescue workers _ Kittipat Theppitak, Danai Pidkwamdee and Peerapong Pinitmontri.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said the city administration would pay 200,000 baht in compensation to the family of Pol Capt Suradet. His rank would also be upgraded by seven steps and his widow, children and parents would receive special monthly pensions.

The city would pay 100,000 baht each to the relatives of the dead volunteers. Their children would also be offered education in city-run schools.

--The Post 2005-01-12

[george]

FIRE-FIGHTERS’ DEATHS: Owner surrenders to face charges of illegal extensions

BANGKOK: -- Denies unlawful modifications; says he did not set United Union Part building ablaze in effort to collect insurance

The owner of the United Union Part storehouse, which burst into flames in Pathumwan and then collapsed in a blazing heap, killing four firemen inside, surrendered on Monday to police to face charges of illegal building extensions.

The charges carry the maximum penalty of Bt240,000 fine and one year in prison, and Saengarun Thanadamrongsak was released on Bt200,000 bail.

He denied the charges of having illegally modified his building and thereby undermining its stability, by insisting that he had kept the six-storey building in the shape and form he had bought it in 1991.

The building, experts believe, probably collapsed because in hosing down the blaze firemen pumped large amounts of water into the storehouse, which contained stacks of cardboard boxes. The boxes absorbed the water and the building buckled under the increased weight.

Saengarun denied that he had deliberately set the building aflame in an attempted insurance fraud, insisting that his assets which perished in the flames were worth more than his insurance coverage. He added that he had his building insured for Bt8 million and his assets inside for another Bt20 million. Police have determined that Saengarun paid a total of Bt700,000 a year in insurance on several buildings in his possession.

Maj-General Chatchawal Suksomchit, the deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner, said investigators had found the building initially designed with four storeys had been later extended by an additional two floors as well as further elevator shafts.

Chatchatwal said police had not ruled out the possibility of insurance fraud behind the fire, but considered it unlikely since Saengarun, his family, and his workers were all inside when the building burst into flames.

Lt-Colonel Arkom Chantanalat, superintendent of Pathumwan district police, said that officers had already questioned more than 20 witnesses. They decided to release Saengarun on bail as they believed he would not try to escape justice.

After reviewing the evidence, police may later press additional charges against Saengarun of causing a fire through negligence, he added.

--The Nation 2005-01-12

[haha]

Mistys,  I will say something to you here.  The collapse of the TWIN TOWERS was caused by FIRE being fueled by JET FUEL, in the thousands of gallons.  Besides that the towers were built to withstand a direct hit from a 707 jet, and todays jets are 3 to 5 times larger and carrying jet fuel in the high 60's in thousands of gallons..  Also the towers were built on steel and glass and some concrete. 

So when that plane hit the tower it hit just about right.  Took out half of the side of the tower which means the other half was holding about 1/8th of the building above it.  Combined with no structural support on one side and with the intense heat melting those steel beams, something had to give and when the collapsed began all that weight above it made it a perfect domino effect downward to the ground.

Nothing is rude about this man, it is plain facts and it is you the person who refuses to accept facts.

These buildings here in Thailand do get their approval, but there is so much cost cutting and material cutting on many areas that itself creates a danger over the span of time and the way it is added it is not added to be stucturally safe for additional weight.  Now this place had a fire, and most buildings here in Thailand are built of concrete and steel mesh inside the concrete itself to give it more strength.  Number two---->  fire cannot destroy concrete.  So technically it means that this concrete was cracking for quite some time and the way they are built which should surprise many of you here they are built crooked.  None of these buildings are built straight and true like in other countries such as in America.  Also the concrete ratio mix is never correct thus reducing its true strength.  The only place you will be seeing true strength concrete is their airport runways, and toll bridges and some roads around Bangkok.

Since Thailand has plate faults around itself, if those plates move just right, yes an earthquake can happen in Thailand itself, and when it does, I hope to hella I am not inside the city limits itself.  Those buildings will be coming down by the thousands without batting an eye.  Bangkok may be one of the largest cities around the world, but they are also primed to be one of the biggest disasters the world will ever encounter should a quake take place in Thailand around Bangkok.  The death toll will be astonishing high.

So you owe an apology to one member here for sure without a doubt

Daveyo

   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

my 2 cents....

the 911 incident was inappropriately used as a comparison to the collapsed building in bangkok. why, you ask? because of the number of people "murdered".

this is the difference between the 2 scenarios...

the 911 incident was an act of war committed to murder people.

the collapsed building in bangkok was the result of ignorance. whoever build the building probably just didn't know better. ...who would intentionally build a building that could collapse and kill their family???

....many people in the world cannot understand the feelings that americans attach to the 911 incident. and my guess is they never will - unless something similar happens to them.