PUBLISHED: 30 Mar 2025 at 20:33
Tragedy struck Thailand following a powerful earthquake that originated in Myanmar on Friday, claiming at least 18 lives and leaving 78 individuals unaccounted for, as reported by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
The casualties include 10 individuals who lost their lives in the collapse of the newly constructed State Audit Office building in Chatuchak district, which was severely affected during the quake.
The body of the tenth victim was recovered from the rubble on Saturday. Meanwhile, rescue teams are actively searching for the 78 workers still missing, and eight others have been hospitalized for injuries from the 30-storey building’s collapse.
In addition to the casualties at the Audit Office, eight other deaths were reported in various locations across the capital, including a construction site where a crane fell due to the earthquake’s intensity.
Three individuals suffered injuries near Silom Road when the elevator cables in which they were traveling snapped amid the tremors.
Rescue operations at the State Audit Office continued throughout Sunday, with workers utilizing a scanning device provided by a foreign embassy to locate those trapped beneath the debris, as communicated by Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
The authorities have successfully cleared approximately 80% of the debris obstructing a major exit ramp along the Din Daeng expressway. Should the rescue efforts not conclude by the end of the day, City Hall plans to issue a work-from-home notice to mitigate potential traffic congestion in the city center.
The earthquake also caused disruptions to the city’s electric rail network. As of Sunday, all electric train lines are operational except for the MRT Pink Line monorail, which remains closed due to damage to its power supply.
City Hall has received over 9,500 reports of building damage through its reporting system, prompting the deployment of engineers to investigate the reported issues, according to Mr. Chadchart.
