Rescue efforts are progressing slowly as the rubble remains highly unstable.
PUBLISHED: 1 Apr 2025 at 20:04
UPDATED: 1 Apr 2025 at 23:15
A scanning device has detected approximately 70 indicators of possible missing persons within the debris of the collapsed State Audit Office building in Bangkok.
The sensor identified these indicators at the center of the collapsed structure, primarily between the 17th and 21st floors, where many individuals were present during the earthquake on Friday, according to reports from the local rescue foundation.
Bangkok’s deputy governor stated that while it is uncertain whether all 70 signals represent missing individuals, six bodies have already been confirmed.
The building’s floors have collapsed onto one another, complicating efforts to determine the exact locations of any remaining individuals within the wreckage.
Rescue teams are doing their best, although they acknowledged the challenges in accessing the trapped individuals.
The 30-story building was still under construction, lacking a complete architectural blueprint, and its thick walls have hindered excavation efforts.
The site remains too unstable for heavy machinery, prompting workers to carefully remove debris from the top down.
As the rescue enters its fifth day, plans are being continuously revised to maximize the chances of saving lives, according to officials.
The next phase will involve inserting search cameras into the debris to assess whether there are human bodies and to more accurately locate them.
The Bangkok Governor noted that moving debris at this point seems unsafe, despite the potential to accelerate rescue operations.
As reported by local authorities, the known casualties from the collapse have risen to 13 dead and 19 injured, with many others still unaccounted for. A total of seven additional fatalities linked to the earthquake have been confirmed at other sites.
Furthermore, the Central Police Forensic Science Division announced that all 12 deceased individuals sent to a forensic facility have been identified, with just one body, believed to belong to a foreign national, pending DNA verification.
Approximately 40 families have provided DNA samples to assist in identifying the deceased, while around 76 individuals remain missing.
