PUBLISHED: 30 Mar 2025 at 13:08
In Thailand, the devastating impact of a powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar has resulted in a rising death toll, now confirmed at 17. As of Sunday, reports indicate that 77 individuals remain unaccounted for, while operations on the Bangkok-Nonthaburi monorail were suspended due to a dislocated power rail.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration reported on Sunday morning that 17 fatalities and 32 injuries have been recorded. Among the deceased, 10 bodies were recovered from the site of the collapsed State Audit Office compound located in Chatuchak district, with the last body retrieved late Saturday night. Eight individuals sustained injuries, and 77 others are missing at this construction site, which was intended to be a 30-storey building.
Additionally, seven fatalities occurred at various other construction sites, primarily at condominiums, including incidents involving collapsed cranes. In one incident, three people were injured due to a falling elevator in the Silom area.
Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing at the collapsed State Audit Office site, with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announcing that City Hall has acquired a building-scanning device from Israel to aid in the rescue mission.
As of Sunday, debris removal near the Din Daeng expressway ramp is reported to be 80% complete. City Hall has issued a warning that should the task not be completed on schedule, a work-from-home directive may be enacted on Monday.
Electric railway services have resumed with the exception of the Bangkok-Nonthaburi Pink Line monorail, which remains non-operational due to the dislocated power rail in Min Buri district.
City Hall has received approximately 9,500 reports concerning building damage via official channels, prompting the deployment of volunteer engineers to assess structural safety.
The Earthquake Observation Division reported 166 aftershocks following the 8.2-magnitude quake in Myanmar which occurred last Friday at 1:20 PM. Among these, 159 were classified with magnitudes between 1.0 and 4.9 on the Richter scale, with one significant aftershock recorded at 7.1 magnitude in Myanmar shortly after the main quake.
On a separate note, the division noted a 5.3-magnitude earthquake occurring 56 kilometers deep in northern Sumatra, located 401 kilometers southwest of Phuket, at 9:58 AM Thailand time on Sunday. This tremor was stated to be unrelated to the previous Myanmar earthquake, posing no threat to Thailand or triggering a tsunami warning.
In light of the crisis, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has dispatched 55 Thai soldiers to Mandalay, Naypyitaw, and Yangon to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.
