Search at collapsed audit office site nears completion, 14 still missing
Bangkok governor updates search efforts, says 3 to 4 days to finish line
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt provided an update today, May 5, on the ongoing search for missing persons at the collapsed State Audit Office building under construction in Chatuchak district.
The building collapsed following the March 28 earthquake. Chadchart said rescue operations have made steady progress, with teams now reaching the basement level of Zone SC2, where no further victims are expected to be found. The search is now moving to the final area, Zone SC1.
Originally, eight people were unaccounted for. However, police have since added six more names to the missing persons list, bringing the total to 14. Some body parts are still undergoing forensic analysis and may belong to those still listed as missing.
So far, 45 to 46 bodies have been recovered and returned to their families. Authorities believe the remaining victims may be found soon, as most of the site has now been accessed. The final phase of search operations in Zone SC1 is expected to be completed within three to four days.
Chadchart noted that once all remains are recovered, the site will be handed back to the Office of the Auditor General, which owns the property. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is responsible only for the search and recovery efforts, not the demolition of the State Audit Office building.
“If a collapsed building has no trapped victims, BMA doesn’t intervene in demolition,
“Our role is to locate victims and return their remains to relatives. Once that is done, the site can be returned to the owner.”
He also remarked that the earthquake served as a test of Bangkok’s building safety. Only one structure collapsed, which suggests that most buildings are structurally sound. Although minor cracks were reported in some buildings, they were deemed reparable.
Chadchart added that BMA has already returned much of the public parking space taken up during rescue efforts. As for other impacts, such as compensation, those will be assessed by relevant agencies. The district director of Chatuchak has been tasked with compiling all related data, reported The Standard.
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