Bangkok authorities have recovered four more bodies from the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building following a recent earthquake, bringing the total death toll to 41, with 53 people still missing.
Rescue operations continue, with debris removal now nearly 50% complete.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department held a press briefing to provide an update on the SAO building collapse, which occurred in the Thai capital’s Chatuchak district following the recent earthquake.
As at 10am yesterday, a total of 103 individuals have been confirmed as victims of the disaster.
Four additional bodies were recovered overnight, bringing the current death toll to 41, with nine people injured and 53 still unaccounted for.
Overnight, rescue teams expanded their operations to zones B4 and C1, where faint light signals had previously been detected.
Recovery crews successfully cleared obstructing beams and excavated an area measuring 4m deep and 5m wide to allow K-9 units and rescue personnel to search more effectively.
However, no signs of life were detected in this operation.
Currently, about 50% of the debris removal has been completed.
Despite the ongoing Songkran holiday in Thailand, all emergency personnel remain fully deployed.
Heavy machinery continues to operate at full capacity, with monitoring teams stationed across all zones.
Water is being sprayed regularly to control dust, and manual searches resume whenever machinery halts.
BMA spokesperson Ekwaranyu Amrapal stated that the city has deployed psychologists and interpreters to support both rescue personnel and the families of the victims.
As at April 13, a total of 23,405 individuals have formally submitted damage reports.
The top five districts with the highest number of reports include Chatuchak with 3,080 cases, Huai Khwang with 2,580 cases, Bang Sue with 2,501 cases, Phasi Charoen with 2,067 cases and Thonburi with 1,140 cases. — The Nation/ANN
