Pathum Thani: Condo owner, engineer charged over deaths

[lvr181]

"I was standing there right in front of the building when it crumbled down. I was shocked. My own son was working on the sixth floor of the building at the time of the accident," Diao told police.

 

Then Diao WILL BE ABLE to tell the Police who was supervising! He and his son were there.

[Boss]

I cant see that any of the officers from the local OrBorTor, who are the really responsible, has been charged of anything .... ? They usually get paid very well before acknowleging any construction.

[webfact]

Police help identify bodies from collapsed Pathum Thani building
By Digital Content



PATHUM THANI, Aug 14 -- The Royal Thai Police will help identify bodies from the collapsed building in Pathum Thani.

Pol Lt Gen Jarumporn Suramanee, assistant to Thailand's National Police chief, brought forensic science subordinates to the collapse site in Khlong Luang's Khlong Hok subdistrict today.

The officers are deployed to identify the bodies of 10 victims recovered from the debris of the condominium building which collapsed Monday.

Gen Jarumporn said some bodies could not be identified for the time being because they started to decay and their relatives could not recognize them.

Forensic police will conduct DNA tests and use old photographs to facilitate the identification.

Police will also check if the building had been constructed with quality materials. The examination will be concluded in a week.

As of last night, workers found 10 bodies at the collapse site. The eighth body was found near the elevator shaft at 3.45am and the retrieval took nearly an hour.

The body could not be identified and there was not a relative or friend who could identify the victim.

Searches continued in rains afterwards and the ninth body, a male, was seen at 6am.

The tenth victim's body was later found under concrete debris and its sex was unable to be identified. (MCOT online news)

[tna]2014-08-14[/tna]

[webfact]

Overseers of Collapsed Building That Kills 10 Deny Responsibility
By Khaosod Englsh


A soldier and dog search for bodies trapped beneath collapsed building in Pathum Thani, which has killed 10 people so far, August 13 2014.

PATHUM THANI — As police continue their investigation into the cause of a collapsed construction site that killed at least 10 workers over the weekend, the construction project's overseers are denying responsibility for the fatal collapse.

The six-floor residential building in Thanyaburi district collapsed on 11 August, trapping dozens of workers under its rubble. The project, named U Place, was commissioned by U Guest Condo company and constructed by Plook Plang company.

The police filed six arrest warrants shortly after the collapse for Pensri Kittipaisarnnon, project commissioner; Boonyakorn Heebthong, an executive of U Place company; Chanaichol Kerdthes, owner of Plook Plang construction company; Saksith Intarathong, engineer and building planner; Jira Khanman, engineer; and Diew Plabchone, contractor.

The suspects have been charged with reckless action that led to injuries and deaths of other people. If found guilty, they could face up to 10 years in prison and a 20,000 baht fine.

Ms. Pensri, Mr. Saksith, and Mr. Diew surrendered themselves to the police yesterday, but police say Mr. Boonyakorn and Mr. Jira are still at large, while Mr. Chanaichol has already fled to Cambodia to escape the charge.

At a police press conference yesterday, Mr. Saksith, the building’s planner and engineer, blamed the contractor, Mr. Diew, for pouring concrete into the building’s structure without his consent.

According to Mr. Saksith, he specifically told Mr. Diew not to add any concrete before he personally inspected the site. As it was a holiday weekend for National Mother’s Day, Mr. Saksith did not visit the site on the day the building collapsed, he said.

However, Mr. Diew told police he was away from the construction site "for personal business" when the building collapsed and did not give any orders to pour more concrete into the structure either. Mr. Diew claimed a leading worker decided to add 40 cubic of concrete on his own volition, which led to the collapse.

Mr. Diew did not identify the worker by his real name; he said he only knew his nickname, "Kob."

Ms. Pensri, the U Place project commissioner who applied for a license for the construction, said tearfully that she was very sorry about the incident.

"I didn't want any losses to happen at all," Ms. Pensri said. "If I could die instead, I would."

She also promised to compensate and assist the families of the dead and injured. As for the criminal charges against her, Ms. Pensri said she would only give testimony in court.

The police have filed additional arrest warrants for three other suspects who have not turned themselves in, said Pol.Maj.Gen. Sriwara Rangsibrahmakul, deputy commander of Region 1 Provincial Police.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1408006483

[khaosod]2014-08-14[/khaosod]

[iReason]

"Mr. Chanaichol (owner of Plook Plang construction company) has already fled to Cambodia to escape the charge.”

Why?

 

"Mr. Saksith, the building’s planner and engineer, blamed the contractor,”

Of course.

 

"Mr. Diew told police he was away from the construction site”

Of course. 

 

"Mr. Diew claimed a leading worker decided to add 40 cubic of concrete on his own volition”

Of course.

 

"Mr. Diew did not identify the worker by his real name; he said he only knew his nickname, "Kob.”

Left the entire site in the charge of a man only known by a nickname?

 

“...killed at least 10 workers"

 “...they could face up to 10 years in prison and a 20,000 baht fine.”

1 year per death (if that).

2000B per person; Horribly killed.

  

 

What a bizarro world this country is.

Nobody ever accepts responsibility for anything.

Even my dog expresses remorse when he’s done something wrong.

Disgusting children...

 

[Robby nz]

 

Mr. Chanaichol (owner of Plook Plang construction company) has already fled to Cambodia to escape the charge.”

Why?

 

Running does sort of indicate a guilty conscience, but then he is the son of a politician so it could just be an inherited thing.

[Pimay1]

It is reported in another news source Chanaichol Kerdthes, owner of Plook Plang construction company is the son of Chalor Kerdthes, the former deputy police commissioner convicted of murder in a jewel theft case. As Khun Chanaichol has now fled the scene to Cambodia, me thinks he must have been a bus driver in a previous life.

[connda]

Some confusion over reporting as this article says the Institute of Engineering is investigation the cause,  the President of the Institute gives three possible causes but says it will take another seven days to determine whereas the other newspapers reports the institute have reached an initial conclusion of design flaw.  It's reported that four pillars on the edge of the building could not carry the required load.

 

Just how does a building with a flawed design get passed for construction ?  Oops   

 

 

 

The design and engineering might have been fine.  Steel reinforced concrete construction is a pretty mature technology from an engineering standpoint.  Substandard workmanship?  Perhaps a different story.  There's a lot of detailed information on television, but my Thai isn't good enough to follow it. 
They seem to be in a big hurry to arrest people.  You'd think that they'd establish the cause and establish responsibility prior to rounding up folks.  Guilty until proved innocent.  But - TIT.  And how is the contractees (owner) responsible for engineering or workmanship flaws.  That blame would sort of fall on the Engineering firm and the General Contractor (and sub-contractors which according to the article, didn't have contracts).
 

[ratcatcher]

Ms. Pensri, Mr. Saksith, and Mr. Diew surrendered themselves to the police yesterday, but police say Mr. Boonyakorn and Mr. Jira are still at large, while Ms. Pensri, Mr. Saksith, and Mr. Diew surrendered themselves to the police yesterday, but police say Mr. Boonyakorn and Mr. Jira are still at large, while Mr. Chanaichol has already fled to Cambodia to escape the charge. has already fled to Cambodia to escape the charge.

 

Mr. Chanaichol

 

As noted by a previous poster. "Like father, like son". The owner of the condo,Pensri, IMO, placed her trust in the construction company to do the right thing and build a good condo..The guys who surrendered to the authorities will sing like canaries.

The guy who fled to Cambodia is now buried deeper in excrement than any of the poor victims under the rubble, all illegal.