Quake-hit Bangkok site turns crime scene as 2 more bodies found
Bangkok’s construction site tragedy has taken a darker turn, as rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the wreckage of the collapsed State Audit Office, nearly three weeks after the building came crashing down in the aftermath of an earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar.
With the death toll continuing to rise and serious allegations of corruption and negligence emerging, investigators are now uncovering far more than just rubble.
The latest grim discovery was made at the site on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road in the capital’s Chatuchak district, where the under-construction government building collapsed following seismic tremors on Friday, March 28.
The bodies, found early on this morning, April 18, were recovered from Zone C of the collapsed structure and sent to the Police General Hospital for forensic identification.
The incident, which occurred on Friday, March 28, has now spiralled into a high-profile investigation after it emerged the building, still under construction at the time, failed to meet basic safety standards. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has since taken over, treating it as a special case.
Allegations include bid rigging, document forgery, and claims that the signatures of supervising engineers were faked, all reportedly linked to a Chinese contractor involved in the project.
At 9.50am yesterday, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt was seen monitoring recovery operations in Zone B, as teams worked tirelessly to locate those still missing. Efforts had resumed late the previous evening and continued through the night.
At around 1am today, rescue workers struck a grim milestone, locating a man and a woman buried in the wreckage. Their bodies were transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for post-mortem examinations.
Bang Sue Police Station, coordinating the disaster response, confirmed that the disaster has so far affected 103 people. Of those, 42 are confirmed dead, with two yet to be identified, nine injured, and 50 still missing, KhaoSod reported.
Heavy machinery rumbled throughout the morning as rescue teams picked through the mangled concrete, determined to find any remaining victims.
As the dust begins to settle, the focus has turned to justice. With accusations of corruption, corner-cutting and criminal negligence circling the project like vultures, questions are being asked: who’s to blame for turning a workplace into a death trap?
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