Nakhon Phanom: The body of a worker who died in the collapse of the State Audit Office building has returned home. Rescue workers gradually brought the bodies of the victims of the State Audit Office building collapse back to their hometowns amidst the grief and sadness of their families. Some of them were so overwhelmed that they almost fainted.
According to Thai News Agency, Mrs. Suda Otathawong, mother of Mr. Boonrod or Lod, 33, a young laborer from Nakhon Phanom who died in the collapse of the Office of the Auditor General building last Friday, knocked on the coffin and called for her son to come eat and drink, in tears, after rescue workers brought his lifeless body to his home at 2:20 a.m. The family held religious rites at his home in Village 6, Ban Kham Sawang, Wang Ta Mua Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nakhon Phanom Province.
Ms. Suda tearfully said that she has 5 children, and only Mr. Lod, the second child, is not married because he is poor. He works as a farmer and does general labor. Therefore, her son has no chance to study. He has had to work since he was 15 years old. In the past, this son has sent her 3,000 baht per month. Before this, he even called her to tell her that his employer had adjusted his wages to 900 baht per day and said that he would go home to be with the whole family during the upcoming Songkran festival.
While Mr. Kamta, 58 years old, a neighbor, cried with tears streaming down his face, saying that he was a contractor and Mr. Lod's supervisor. They had worked together for many years. After hearing the news of the building collapse, he prayed for Mr. Lod's safety, but there was no miracle. He lost his skilled subordinate.
The body will be kept for two days for religious rites before being moved to the temple in the community for cremation on April 3. In this village of Kham Sawang, there were about 20 people in the community who worked as craftsmen and laborers building the Office of the Auditor General building that collapsed. There are still two people missing and have not been found: Mr. Jakkrit, aged 17, whose house is only 500 meters from Mr. Lod's house, and Mr. Ekkachai.
In Udon Thani Province, Ruamkatanyu Foundation officials brought the body of Mr. Kittiporn Tonkanya, or 'Tang,' age 32, one of the victims of the State Audit Office building collapse caused by the earthquake in Bangkok, back to his family in his hometown at 1:30 a.m. The body was kept at Wat Sai Thong, Nong Kung Si Subdistrict, Non Sa-at District, Udon Thani Province. The body will be held for one night only, and the cremation will be held tomorrow (April 2).
In Nan Province, Ruamkatanyu Foundation officials brought the body of Mr. Noi Thicha, aged 55, back to his hometown in Ban Pa Laew, Tambon Pa Laew Luang, Amphoe Santisuk, late last night. The family lit incense to inform the local spirits to allow Mr. Noi's spirit to enter the house. Relatives then helped lift the coffin amidst the cries of his wife and son, who still could not accept the loss of the pillar of their family and would never be able to return home. They then held a ceremony to ask for forgiveness and placed the body in a refrigerated coffin. During that time, the family members, who were still unable to accept it, fainted, requiring first aid. The funeral rites will be held for two days, and the cremation will be held on Thursday, April 3, at the Ban Pa Laew crematorium.
Mr. Noi's sister told us that the deceased was the youngest sibling. Before the incident, he had video called to wish his nephew a happy birthday. On the day of the incident, the family tried to contact him through every means until the younger brother's wife received the news that he had passed away. Songkran wanted his younger brother to return home, but this year he returned early, and he still could not accept it.
For Mr. Noi, he has worked with the Italian-Thai Development Company since November 1994, a total of 37 years. On the day of the incident, he was working as a crane driver in the morning, but in the afternoon, during the incident, he moved down to rest on the 30th floor with Mr. Sinlap Chomla, a villager from Jun, Pa Klang Subdistrict, Pua District, Nan Province. He has not been found yet.