One of three missing workers, trapped inside a collapsed train tunnel in Nakhon Ratchasima, was found dead at about 11am this morning, but his identity is yet to be confirmed, said Aekkarat Sriarayanpong, chief of the Office of the Governor of State Railways of Thailand (SRT), said today.
He said the rescue team continues to search for the other two missing workers, hoping that they will be found alive and rescued, adding that he expects the rescue operation to be completed today.
He assured that the deceased’s family will be fully compensated by the SRT.
Earlier this morning, Provincial Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum told the media that life signs had been detected, but none of the three missing workers, two Chinese and one Burmese, had been found at that time.
Meanwhile, Dr Suphol Tatiyananthaporn, the provincial chief doctor, has expressed concern that the remaining survivors may suffer from increased blood acidity, after being trapped in the collapsed tunnel for four days without food, water or sufficient oxygen.
He said that three medical teams, with fully-equipped ambulances, are on standby at the entrance to the tunnel, to treat any survivors as soon as they are extracted from the tunnel, before taking them to the nearest hospital.
According to the Rescue Command Centre, which is also located at the entrance to the tunnel of the Thai-Chinese high-speed train project, more rubble from the ceiling and walls of the tunnel is occasionally falling, as a result of the vibrations caused by the drilling machine being used to drill through the rubble and boulders that block the access to the locations of the trapped workers.
For the safety of the rescue team, rubble is being carried out of the tunnel by hand.
Meanwhile, Chinese engineers involved in the rescue operations have erected a protective structure, to prevent falling rubble from harming rescue workers as they try to reach those trapped inside. More sensors have also been installed to provide early warning of falling rubble.
