Bangkok SAO death toll hits 68 after 5 more bodies found
The ongoing rescue mission at the State Audit Office in Chatuchak unearthed five more of the missing
Five more bodies have been recovered from the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building, bringing the death toll to 68.
Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, reported that the bodies were discovered in Zone D between 10pm on Wednesday, April 30, and 9am yesterday, May 1. The search for the missing continues, with heavy machinery operating continuously, though efforts are sometimes hindered by equipment malfunctions or the necessity for part replacements.
Rescue teams have concentrated their efforts on clearing debris in zones B and C to reach the believed location of trapped bodies.
By 6pm on Wednesday, 68 deaths had been confirmed, with 26 still missing.
Separately, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on the previous day invited public works officials and representatives from the SAO and contractors to observe the examination of documents seized from the site. This was confirmed by a senior DSI official.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Amorn Hongsrithong, responsible for the anti-price collusion office, explained that the current stage of the examination involves sorting documents. A total of 121 document boxes were confiscated from 26 containers at the construction site, containing contracts, blueprints, financial records, construction materials, purchase orders, and work records from Chinese and Thai engineers—documents not previously located at the SAO office.
Forty engineers have been summoned to provide statements to the DSI, with nine confirming their attendance. The DSI is investigating the suspected use of nominees in the company awarded the contract, reported Bangkok Post.
The factory at the centre of Thailand’s latest construction scandal was raided on April 11 as investigators intensified their probe into the supplier linked to the fatal collapse of the SAO building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district.
Officials from the Industry Ministry’s “Sud Soi” task force inspected Xin Ke Yuan (SKY) Steel Ltd in Rayong’s Ban Khai district after the company missed an April 10 deadline to provide documentation on its steel production.
Tests by the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand found SKY’s steel bars used in the SAO building failed to meet national safety standards. Investigations continue.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
