Rescue teams believe at least 15 people remain alive and trapped beneath the rubble of a Bangkok skyscraper that collapsed following a powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand.
Rescuers have detected signs of life and managed to establish communication with some survivors beneath the 10-storey pile of debris.
With the operation entering its second day, scores of construction workers are still unaccounted for.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit on Friday afternoon local time, killing hundreds near the epicenter in Mandalay, Myanmar. The tremors were felt across vast distances, including in Bangkok, as well as parts of China and India.
Reports from Myanmar indicate widespread destruction in the Sagaing region and Mandalay, with numerous buildings flattened and temple spires reduced to rubble. Officials there report over 1,000 deaths and at least 2,376 injuries.
In Bangkok, thousands felt the quake as buildings swayed and water sloshed out of swimming pools. Authorities received 2,000 reports of structural cracks across the city.
Despite this, the Thai capital largely escaped severe damage—except for one major collapse: the unfinished headquarters of the auditor-general’s office, now the epicenter of rescue efforts.
Located near the popular Chatuchak market, the 30-storey skyscraper, once a towering structure of blue glass and steel, has been reduced to a massive heap of twisted metal and shattered concrete.
Of the more than 400 workers present at the site during the collapse, at least 96 remain missing, while eight have been confirmed dead and another eight injured, according to official figures. Some of those missing are believed to be Burmese, as many migrant workers from Myanmar are employed in Thailand’s construction industry.
Rescue teams have worked tirelessly through Friday night and into Saturday morning, deploying drones, sniffer dogs, cranes, and excavators to aid in the search.
By midday Saturday, officials confirmed detecting at least 15 people alive beneath the wreckage, located approximately 5 to 10 meters from the surface.
