BANGKOK, Thailand – Search operations at the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district have reached the basement level, with only a small remaining section connected to the parking structure yet to be cleared. According to officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the area in question, located in zones B2 and B3, is undergoing urgent but cautious debris removal due to the risk of ground instability.
BMA’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office Director Suriyachai Rawiwan reported that the team is now working on the first floor of the remaining structure. Heavy machinery is being used with care to avoid additional subsidence. Authorities estimate that the remaining operations will take another two to three days.
No new bodies were recovered during the operations on May 5. However, over 200 sets of human remains or body parts have been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital for identification. Whether any belong to the individuals still listed as missing remains under review pending forensic analysis.
As of 6:00 p.m. on May 5, the official toll stands at 87 confirmed dead and 9 injured, with 13 people unaccounted for. The total number of individuals involved in the collapse has been confirmed at 109. Forensic teams are continuing the identification process to provide closure to the victims’ families. (NNT)
