Rescue teams are detecting the vital signs of about 15 people trapped under the debris of a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok, which collapsed in Friday’s earthquake, the director of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, Suriyachai Rawiwan, said today.
The signals indicate that they are in groups of three to seven people, according to Suriyachai.
“The rescue teams are attempting to get food and water to them. The difficulty is that some of them are trapped about three meters deep. We have about 72 hours to help them, because that is the approximate length of time a person can survive without water and food,” Suriyachai said.
The number of those trapped under the debris remains unclear, with estimates ranging from 47 to 100.
Rescue operations resumed this morning, after being suspended late last night.
Deputy Bangkok Governor Tavida Kamolvej said last night that the current death toll in the collapse stands at ten, with 16 injured and 101 missing.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said 130 engineers will be deployed to inspect buildings in Bangkok, to assess whether they were structurally damaged by yesterday’s tremors.
He added that his office welcomes any assistance and rescue teams willing to help, but asked that they coordinate with Bangkok’s authorities.
At least 153 people died when a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar yesterday, sending major tremors as far as Bangkok.
