3 weeks ago
Last Updated:March 30, 2025, 18:18 IST
At least 17 people were killed in the Bangkok building collapse, with 32 injured and 83 still missing. No other skyscrapers collapsed in Bangkok, fuelling concerns over poor construction.
Rescue efforts are underway after a skyscraper collapsed in Bangkok. (Reuters)
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake that wreaked havoc in Myanmar, with at least 1,700 people killed, has also devastated Thailand as rescuers are working on Sunday to free survivors trapped after a 33-storey skyscraper collapsed following back-to-back strong tremors.
At least 17 people were killed in the Bangkok building collapse, while 32 were injured and 83 others were still missing, AFP reported citing city authorities. Most of the deaths were workers killed in the tower collapse.
Workers at the site are using large mechanical diggers in an attempt to find victims who are still trapped in the rubble. Sniffer dogs and thermal imaging drones have also been deployed to seek signs of life in the collapsed building.
China Link In Building Collapse
A Chinese-backed construction firm has come under scrutiny as questions were raised over the structural integrity of the skyscraper. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government would launch a rapid investigation to understand the disaster.
According to a report by the UK’s Telegraph, the collapsed building belonged to the national audit office and had been under construction for three years at a cost of two million Thai baht ($45 million). The project was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd, as per local media.
The latter company’s largest backer is a Chinese company called China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group Company, which owns 49% of shares – the maximum stake foreign entities can hold in a Thai company. The company did not respond to any comments.
Concerns Over Poor Construction
It is interesting to note that no other construction site or high-rise buildings received such damage. “Something was wrong, definitely," said Suchatchavee Suwansawas, a civil engineer and politician from the Democrat Party. “You see all other buildings, even high-rise buildings under construction, they’re safe. So either the design was wrong or the construction was wrong."
Thailand’s Ministry of Industry said it had sent an inspection team to explore whether low-quality steel or poor engineering design contributed to the collapse, according to the Thansettakij newspaper.
experts also pointed to a “flat slab" construction process, in which floors rest directly on columns without beams, which could have amplified the shaking on Bangkok’s soft soil.
Meanwhile, authorities said engineers would be assessing and repairing the 165 damaged buildings around the city on Sunday.
Location :Bangkok, Thailand
First Published:March 30, 2025, 16:31 IST
News world Why Is A Chinese Firm Under Fire After Bangkok Skyscraper Collapses In Myanmar Earthquake?
