13 still missing as search continues at collapsed building in Bangkok

The search for trapped victims at the collapse site of the SAO building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district progressed significantly on Tuesday, according to Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office.

He reported that no additional survivors or victims had been found during the search from last night through Tuesday morning. However, rescue teams have now fully cleared the concrete floor of the basement and surrounding area, covering approximately 40×40 metres.

“What remains is the collapsed section adjacent to parking zone B, which is about 3 metres tall and 15–20 metres wide,” he said. “Clearing this remaining debris is expected to take another 2–3 days.”

Meanwhile, officials plan to conduct DNA testing on 280 human body parts stored at the Police General Hospital’s Forensic Institute. These will be compared against the list of the 13 missing persons. If all identities cannot be confirmed, authorities may need to reassess the total number of missing individuals, Suriyachai added.

The under-construction 30-storey building on Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road collapsed on March 28 following an 8.2-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay, Myanmar, trapping more than a hundred workers inside.

As of Tuesday, the BMA has reported a total of 109 victims from the incident. Of these, 87 have been confirmed dead, nine were injured, and 13 remain missing.

Taiwut Khankaew, Director of the BMA’s Office of City Planning and Urban Development, stated that the collapsed structure was a 30-storey high-rise building with a total area of 40×40 metres, or approximately 50,000 square metres, and 10 elevators. After the collapse, the building tilted toward the rear, where it connected to a parking structure. It is suspected that during the collapse, some people may have run into the parking area; therefore, search operations must continue in that section until it is fully cleared.

According to evacuation simulations, most people from all floors ran toward the fire escape stairs — the only connection point between the 30-storey tower and the parking garage. It is possible that some individuals became trapped in the rubble at this junction. This theory aligns with findings that most recovered bodies were located in Zone C, believed to correspond with the fire escape area.

It is estimated that the basement area search will take another 2–3 days, and the entire recovery operation is expected to be completed within 4–5 days. Authorities are aiming to finish by May 10, Taiwut added.

“The BMA lacks experience in structural collapse rescue operations. Still, we are committed to working with the utmost effort and caution to recover all those who remain trapped,” said Taiwut.