Myanmar Strong Earthquake: Bangkok Subway Construction Building Collapses, 110 Trapped.

On Friday, March 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, affecting Thailand and causing a building under construction in Bangkok, built by China Railway, to collapse. The Thai Deputy Prime Minister stated that the collapse of this building resulted in at least 8 deaths, with rescue teams still working to save 110 people trapped in the rubble.

So far, at least 12 individuals have been rescued from the scene, according to Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. “It is still possible to find more bodies as some individuals are trapped under the building structure,” Anutin said in an interview with reporters. “Special techniques are needed to safely remove these bodies to prevent further collapse due to movement of the building components.”

Anutin mentioned that rescue teams would be working throughout the night. The collapsed building was constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation for the Thailand State Audit Office. It was located just a few meters away from the bustling Chatuchak Market and was still under construction at the time of the collapse. Anutin attributed the collapse to the fracture of columns at the bottom of the building.

He further added that inspections had been conducted on other buildings, with no immediate dangers found. Government buildings and public transportation systems are also set to undergo inspections. The Narenthorn Centre, Thailand’s National Institute for Emergency Medicine Research, reported on Friday evening at 6:40 local time that a total of 68 individuals were injured, with 5 in critical condition, and they were transported to seven hospitals in the area.

According to reports, there were around 400 people at the construction site, including both Thai and foreign workers. The Bangkok Post reported that Sutthipong Boonnithi, Deputy Auditor-General of Thailand, mentioned that the project was undertaken by a joint venture between ITD-CREC [Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited and China Railway Tenth Bureau (Thailand) Co., Ltd.].

On April 2, 2024, the China Railway Tenth Bureau Group celebrated the topping-out of the building’s main structure on its official WeChat account. However, the post seen by CNN was later deleted on Friday afternoon, with screenshots beginning to circulate on Chinese social media platforms.

Earlier in the day, the Thai Prime Minister stated that the situation had eased in Thailand following the impact of the major earthquake in neighboring Myanmar, allowing people to return to their homes.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai described Friday’s earthquake as unprecedented in Bangkok’s century-long history. So far, the strong quake has resulted in 153 deaths in Myanmar.

According to Chinese media reports, tremors were felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, with houses damaged and individuals injured in Ruili City, bordering Myanmar.