Bangkok: Entering the 12th day of search operations, another four bodies were removed from the collapsed State Audit Office building. This brings the death toll to 21, with 73 individuals still missing.
According to Thai News Agency, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has accepted the building collapse as a special case. Today, the Special Case Committee conducted a site visit to observe and discuss evidence to support potential legal action against suspects. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) confirmed it will maintain its original demolition plan, aiming to reduce the building's height by 5 meters to aid in the recovery efforts in Zones B and C.
Pol. Lt. Col. Woranan Srilam, Director of the Consumer Protection Division at the DSI, visited the site to investigate potential violations related to the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542, the Industrial Product Standards Act B.E. 2511, and the Act on Offenses Relating to Bidding to Government Agencies B.E. 2542. He revealed that officials from three agencies-the Institute of Forensic Science, the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning, and the Thai Industrial Standards Institute-were convened to examine nominee shareholding, unfair price competition, and compliance with industrial standards in building construction materials.
The DSI is determining whether the contractor for the construction of the Auditor General's Office building violated the Foreign Business Act and bidding laws. Coordination with the BMA is ongoing to ensure efficient collaboration.
At 10:30 a.m., officials utilized a backhoe with a drilling head to penetrate a large concrete pillar atop the debris, simultaneously spraying water to curb dust dispersion. Associate Professor Thawida Kamolvej, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, stated that the objective is to cut through the steel bars of the platform, as bodies were located in Zones B and C. Efforts are concentrated on these zones due to the shift of the building towards them during the collapse.
The relentless search mission continues, with four additional bodies recovered in Zone B overnight and into the morning. The tragedy has deeply affected the families of those still missing, who have been vigilantly following the rescue efforts. Relatives performed a ritual this morning, lighting incense sticks and pleading for divine intervention to aid in locating the missing workers.