By Taryn Wilson and Hataiphan Tungkananukulchai
Bangkok, Mar 30 (EFE).- Signs of life continue to be detected in the rubble of a Bangkok highrise that collapsed during Myanmar’s powerful earthquake nearly 48 hours after the tremor, according to Thai authorities, which updated the capital’s death toll to 17 on Sunday.
Rescue workers and dogs carry out a search operation at the site of a building that collapsed following an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, 29 March 2025. EFE/EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
In addition to the deaths, 32 others are injured and 83 are uned for, Bangkok’s istration reported, citing figures from Erawan Emergency Center.
Ten of the deaths occurred in the collapse of the State Audit Office under construction near the city’s famous Chatuchak Market, while the other seven were reported elsewhere around the city.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said in a press conference Sunday that nearly 48 hours after the earthquake, the priority is the ongoing rescue operation in the rubble of the pancaked building, where more bodies were found early in the morning, but where there are still signs of life.
“We are pushing forward with all our strength and resources, and we are receiving assistance from several countries such as the United States, China, and Israel, who are sending equipment to help,” Chadchart said.
“We remain hopeful and continue our efforts, as we believe there are still chances of finding survivors inside.”
Thailand has not revealed the nationalities of those affected, but is broadcasting information about the Chatuchak incident in both Thai and Burmese languages, with many construction workers in the country coming from the neighboring nation.
Burmese people are among those awaiting news of the missing at the site of the collapse, EFE witnessed, and Myanmar’s ambassador to Thailand, Zaw Zaw Soe, visited the scene of the tragedy on Saturday.
Around 9,500 requests have been submitted for structural integrity building assessments in the capital, Chadchart said, as teams of engineers were inspecting around 100 buildings alone on Sunday.
Relatives wait during a search operation at the site of a collapsed building, following an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, 29 March 2025. EFE/EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT
Meanwhile, Thailand’s special task force of 55 armed forces personnel landed in quake-stricken Myanmar on Sunday to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, as international rescue teams and aid began to arrive.
The Thai deployment includes a command unit, an urban search and rescue team, an emergency medical team and a communications team.
In Myanmar, the military junta that has held power since the 2021 coup raised the death toll to 1,644, 3,408 injured, and 139 missing on Saturday due to Friday’s magnitude-7.7, 10km deep earthquake, which devastated the center of the country.
The United Nations estimates that around 20 million people are affected there. EFE
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