A fact-finding committee has indicated that the collapse of the SAO building on March 28 might be related to a mistake in the design of the elevator shaft. When the building was shaken by the tremors from Myanmar’s earthquake, it resulted in torque and the crumbling of the building, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today.
He went on to say that he feels uneasy over a report that a structural engineer had complained that his signature was forged on a document of a contractor responsible for supervising the building construction, certifying the changed design of the elevator shaft, despite him having nothing to do with the construction project.
Falsifying the signature of an engineer is like falsifying a medical certificate issued by a doctor, which is a breach of ethical conduct, said Anutin, adding that he will call a meeting with the director-general of the Department of Public Works, Town and Country Planning on the issue of ethical conduct.
An earlier report alleged that the design of the elevator shaft was changed, with the thickness of the elevator walls being reduced from 30cm to 25cm.
Meanwhile, workers have managed to reduce the height of the mound of debris from the collapsed SAO building to about 14 metres, as searches continue for the rest of the victims. It is, however, unlikely that survivors will still be found buried under the rubble.
As of yesterday, total death toll stood at 44, nine injured and 50 people are still listed as missing.
