SAO building collapse victim count rises to 109 with six new reports

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) issued an update on Sunday afternoon regarding the building collapse in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, which was triggered by the earthquake that struck in late March.

Throughout the day, authorities have been using heavy machinery to clear debris and open access to the collapsed structure. Since April 30, they have managed to begin clearing the basement level in order to accelerate the search for victims still unaccounted for.

Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department, reported that Zone D has now been fully cleared. However, in Zone A, search teams discovered signs that may indicate missing victims — including fluid stains in a cavity on the lower level. Progress has been hindered by a structural wall that prevents access beyond that point.

“We will focus efforts today on removing the debris in this zone to reach the basement level,” he stated.

Regarding Zone C, which is adjacent to the parking structure and where it is believed some individuals may have descended via the emergency stairwell, Suriyachai explained that the first floor of the building collapsed and is now compressed against the basement floor, leaving only 50 centimetres of space. 

As the basement is approximately three metres high, only one metre of clearance has been achieved so far.

“The plan today is to push ahead with clearing the remaining two metres of debris in Zone C, to reach the basement floor and access the stairwell area, where the lift shaft is also located. This will connect with the car park structure,” he said.

If there are no delays, he expects that access to the full basement level in Zone C will be achieved by the end of the day.

Suriyachai noted that although some of the basement columns remain structurally intact, removing them requires considerable force and time. Nevertheless, all operations are closely monitored on-site to assess any potential structural shifts. He expressed confidence that there is no immediate risk of further collapse or danger to personnel.

He acknowledged that the workload has been demanding. Some private sector partners have begun withdrawing equipment and personnel. In cases where machinery breaks down, operations in some areas may be temporarily paused for repairs. However, he assured that the overall plan remains on schedule and operations continue at full capacity.

Regarding the collection of concrete samples, Suriyachai confirmed that evidence teams have been gathering samples from multiple points across the site, rather than from a single location. 

If any area has been marked for sampling, machinery must be temporarily repositioned to allow access for the evidence team. This process has been ongoing daily to avoid any disruption to the structural analysis.

Assoc Prof Tavida Kamolvej, deputy governor of Bangkok, reported that the number of victims in the SAO building collapse has increased from 103 to 109, following six additional reports filed by relatives at Bang Sue Police Station.

Officials have since referred the relatives to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital to provide DNA samples for comparison.

She explained that 86 fatalities have been confirmed so far. Of these, 63 have been matched to relatives through identity verification, comprising 46 Thai nationals, 15 Myanmar nationals, one Cambodian, and one Laotian. The number of injured remains unchanged at nine.

The number of people still unaccounted for has risen from eight to 14. Additionally, over 20 body parts have been recovered and are awaiting forensic examination.