BANGKOK, Thailand – Rescue operations entered their fifth day on April 1 at the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok, which came down following a powerful earthquake on March 28. Thai rescue teams, working closely with international specialists, remain determined in their mission, especially after detecting faint life signs beneath the debris.
A significant development was reported by the Facebook page Fire & Rescue Thailand, which released X-ray images captured using advanced detection equipment provided by the United States military. The images show human figures trapped under layers of concrete, clustered together in a way that suggests limited mobility. Despite locating them, extraction has not yet been possible due to the heavy and compacted rubble.
Bangkok Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej provided an update on the operation, confirming that another body was discovered on the evening of March 31. This brings the confirmed death toll to thirteen. Earlier in the day, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited the disaster site in Chatuchak district to oversee the efforts. Detection equipment identified distinct human shapes within the ruins, prompting a revised strategy developed in coordination with international experts to access the trapped victims.
Rescue teams have now confirmed six locations within the rubble where human remains are believed to be located. This is based on verified data from scanning tools and camera probes. While earlier reports suggested as many as seventy potential points, that number was based on preliminary scans and has since been narrowed. The exact depth and positioning of the bodies remain uncertain due to the collapsed structure’s complex layering, although early assessments indicate that the individuals are located in Zones A and C.
Although no additional signs of life have been detected, rescue personnel continue to methodically scan and clear the site. The operation is one of the most technically demanding urban search-and-rescue missions Thailand has faced in recent memory. (NNT)
