Bangkok: The rescue team is making a concerted effort to clear the debris from the collapsed Office of the Auditor General building to the first floor by the end of this month. The Director of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation revealed that this urgent operation aims to pave the way for subsequent efforts to excavate the basement to search for any additional victims.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, provided an update on the ongoing mission. Since the previous evening, rescue workers have discovered the bodies of four victims. These individuals, who were working on the 19th floor, were trapped beneath the rubble. Two of the victims have been identified as male, while the gender of the other two remains undetermined. The rescue team has also collected 207 pieces of body parts and sent them to the Police General Hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine for DNA testing to confirm their identities before the remains can be returned to their families.
At the work site, officials have removed 281 trips of limestone and scrap metal, which have been transported to a designated storage area at the State Railway of Thailand. The debris removal has resulted in a reduction of the building's height, with Zones A and D reduced from 11.51 meters to 10.52 meters, and Zones B and C reduced from 9.81 meters to 9.36 meters.
The operation has consumed 5,400 liters of oil. The gas cutting teams, comprising three army units and one navy unit, have been working from noon yesterday until early this morning, facilitating continuous and expedited use of heavy machinery. However, equipment fatigue has led to 12 cases of machinery breakdowns. In response, machine number 10 has been deployed to provide additional support.
Efforts continue in various zones, with Zone C1-C5 now having an open connecting path where four victim bodies were found. Work is ongoing in Zone B to connect areas B1 and B4, currently a mere three meters apart. Zones A and D are focused on removing rocks, cement, and steel rods, reducing the structure's height and creating a narrower perimeter.
The immediate objective is to reduce the building's height to the first floor by month's end, at which point the rescue team will shift focus to the basement. The excavation will involve a different approach from the current drilling method and will be discussed further once the first-floor debris is cleared.
The rescue operation is a coordinated effort involving multiple agencies, with additional heavy machinery expected to provide further support in the coming days.