Defence Minister urges urgent inspections after Bangkok earthquake

Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai urged relevant agencies to expedite the inspection of all buildings and condominiums across Bangkok on Sunday.

His remarks followed the earthquake on Friday afternoon, which was centred in Mandalay, Myanmar, and impacted several buildings in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok.

Phumtham stated that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra had ordered relevant agencies to mitigate the effects of the earthquake and reassured the public to have confidence in the government.

Certain locations, such as condominiums with cracks and those at risk of collapsing, are being sealed off to prevent access, he said. He expects all mass rapid transit systems to resume operations today.Phumtham also mentioned that large cranes have been removed from hospitals and buildings under construction in the Silom area. Over 2,000 volunteer engineers will be deployed to inspect each area, he added.



He emphasised that the primary mission is the rescue of victims from the collapsed State Audit Office building in Chatuchak district, noting that people can usually survive for up to 72 hours.

He confirmed that several agencies are working at the scene, focusing on dismantling large debris and clearing tunnels to allow for breathing.

“We must now focus on lifting the heavy debris and clearing tunnels to ensure there is airflow, as this is the most urgent and critical task,” he said.

According to the Erawan Medical Emergency Centre at 6am on Sunday, the earthquake that affected several buildings in Bangkok resulted in 32 injuries, 17 fatalities and 83 missing persons.

Of these, the collapsed State Audit Office building caused 18 injuries and 10 fatalities. One person later died in hospital.

(2025/03/30-00:00)