Thai minister demands building collapse answers from Chinese firm
Thailand’s interior minister has demanded answers within seven days after the shocking collapse of the State Audit Office building in Bangkok, constructed by a Chinese company, during last week’s earthquake.
Rescuers are still working at the disaster site in Chatuchak district, with at least 12 confirmed dead, 33 injured, and 78 people still unaccounted for.
Four Chinese workers have already been questioned after being caught removing documents from the site, raising suspicions of a cover-up.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered a team of expert engineers to determine why the newly built 30-storey skyscraper crumbled while most other buildings withstood the tremors.
“Thailand will quickly find out why this building collapsed. It was just built and should have been designed to withstand earthquakes.”
The structure, which was meant to serve as the new headquarters for the State Audit Office, was a joint project between Italian-Thai Development Plc and China Railway No.10 Engineering Group, with a budget of 2.1 billion baht.
The Chinese government has now sent an expert specialising in tunnel collapses and earthquakes to Bangkok to assist in the probe.
Chinese ambassador Han Zhiqiang visited the site on Sunday and confirmed that the Chinese contractor has been banned from entering the area during the investigation.
Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol. Maj. Gen. Noppasin Poonsawat, confirmed that four Chinese nationals were stopped after attempting to take 32 files from containers behind the collapsed building.
The workers, employed by a company under the Italian-Thai Development consortium, claimed they were retrieving the documents for insurance claims. The files were seized, and the men were released after questioning, but the Chatuchak district office is preparing to file a complaint against them.
In response to the disaster, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged owners of large structures, including buildings, hotels, theatres, billboards, and industrial plants, to conduct urgent safety inspections within the next two weeks, reported Bangkok Post.
Meanwhile, international rescue teams, including specialists from the US and Israel, are racing against time to locate those still trapped beneath the rubble.
As Thailand reels from the tragedy, the Government of Thailand are under growing pressure to ensure those responsible are held to account and to prevent future catastrophes.
Latest Thailand News
