Death toll climbs to 29 as rescue teams find 14 more bodies in collapsed Bangkok building

An official said that a human voice was heard from under the rubble in zone B at around 9pm, showing signs of survivors.

Rescue teams have uncovered 14 additional bodies under the rubble of a collapsed 30-story building in Bangkok's Chatuchak district on Wednesday. The discovery was made after heavy machinery was used to drill into the debris at the building's front section.



The under-construction State Audit Office (SAO) building collapsed last Friday afternoon following a massive 8.2-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay, Myanmar, approximately 392 kilometers from Mae Hong Son, Thailand.



As of Thursday morning, the confirmed death toll stands at 29, with nine others injured and 59 still missing.

An official said that a human voice was heard from under the rubble in zone B at around 9pm, showing signs of survivors.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed that approximately 1,000 tons of concrete, broken into 10 pieces, had been removed to grant access to the collapsed building's underground floors. He confirmed that of the 14 bodies discovered, only one could be retrieved immediately, with the others expected to be recovered by Thursday.

“We have begun drilling through the left side of zones A and B, and the right side of zones C and D, in an attempt to reach the elevator shaft where we believe some workers might be trapped,” Governor Chadchart said.



He also noted that Thai rescue teams were collaborating with international teams, some of which have decades of experience in search and rescue. These experts have stated that the collapse is the most complicated they have encountered.

"While Thai teams are leading the operation, international teams are providing advice and support. We will continue the search until every last person is found," Governor Chadchart emphasized.

Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, explained that the teams decided to drill from below rather than remove debris from the top to avoid triggering further collapse of the building.

The operation will continue with a focus on zones B and C, where assessments suggest that many more victims may be trapped, he added.

(2025/04/03-00:00)