There were at least five risk factors contributing to the collapse of the roof of a multi-purpose building at Wat Noen Por School in Sam Ngam district of Phichit province on Monday evening, resulting in the deaths of seven students and injuries to 18 others, including parents and janitors, according to Thailand’s Structural Engineers Association (TSEA).

Professor Dr. Amorn Pimanmas, the association’s president, identified the risk factors as:

• The strength of a summer storm is 2-3 times greater than normal wind and they happen in a narrow area and rapidly. Their strength can bring down the structure of a building.
• Physical structures have ample surface area for wind push against, such as billboards and roofs. Roofs, which cover a wide area, are at higher risk of collapse.
• Structural design does not take into account the risk from summer storms.
• Substandard design or construction, as can be seen from the breaking of the supporting concrete pillars, meant they were unable to support the roof when it was hit by a storm.
• The construction materials used may not have been up to standard, as evidenced by the destruction of the concrete pillars.

He said that these are just initial assumptions, as there are could be other accompanying factors which will be detailed in the site inspection and analysis.

The professor said that summer storms are a natural threat which should not be underestimated, adding that there may be numerous other buildings which are at risk, especially buildings which use the same design and standards as the one which collapsed.

For safety’s sake, during thunderstorms, he advised people to take cover in a strong building.