BANGKOK, Thailand – Two more bodies have been recovered from the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok, raising the confirmed death toll to 29 as search operations continue into their 16th day. The building collapsed following a powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar, triggering a complex rescue mission with dozens still missing.
Both victims were retrieved in the early hours of April 12 from Zone C of the wreckage at 12:30 a.m. and 1:10 a.m., respectively. Their identities and genders have yet to be confirmed. The individuals were not found in Zone B, where intermittent flashing signals—believed to be from a mobile phone—were previously detected, raising hopes of finding survivors.
Zone B remains inaccessible due to unstable debris and difficult working conditions. Rescuers have identified possible locations of bodies at depths of one and three meters using scanning technology, but efforts to reach them are ongoing. Teams are currently working to dismantle upper sections and drill vertical shafts to reach potential voids.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has confirmed that while the signals in Zone B have not been verified as a sign of life, they are being treated seriously. The SAO has formally requested that Italian-Thai Development Plc., the main contractor, be held accountable for the collapse. (NNT)
