Five more bodies found under collapsed Bangkok building, death toll rises to 13

The death toll from the incident has risen to 13, with 9 people injured and 74 still missing.

Rescue officials on Monday found five more bodies of workers under the collapsed 30-story building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, following Friday’s earthquake in Myanmar.

The death toll from the incident has risen to 13, with 9 people injured and 74 still missing.

The under-construction building of the State Audit Office (SAO) collapsed on Friday afternoon due to the impact of the 8.2-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay, Myanmar, about 392 kilometers from Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province.

Bangkok Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej said the city’s search and rescue mission, which has been ongoing for over 72 hours, found five more bodies of workers under the debris on Monday, but only one could be transported out.

She added that officials will clear the area on Tuesday to remove large debris from the upper part of the rubble and arrange it properly. This will allow the evidence collection team and officials from the Ministry of Industry to gather information on the collapsed building, she said.

Meanwhile, the Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (MCATT) is providing psychological support to the families of the construction workers, both Thai and Myanmar nationals, who have set up camp and are staying overnight at the shelter center.
 

After visiting the site on Monday, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the rescue teams, which comprise international experts, K9 units and robots, have been trying to gain access to the space under the rubble, where workers have been trapped.

“72 hours have passed and we continue to move forward, not giving up or stopping, with hope,” he said, adding that the BMA and related officials are standing by to provide any support that the rescue teams need.

(2025/04/01-00:00)