Giant Digger Joins Desperate Search for Survivors in Bangkok Building Collapse

Hopes remain as rescuers battle through concrete and steel on upper floors of the earthquake-damaged audit office; red dust discovery raises further concerns

 

A massive excavator has joined the increasingly urgent rescue operation at the site of the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building in Bangkok, as authorities continue their search for dozens still feared trapped beneath the rubble.

 

The 100-tonne SK-1000 digger, the largest available, is being deployed to pierce through the dense concrete on the upper levels of the 30-storey structure, which crumbled following a powerful 8.2 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar late last month.

 

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, overseeing the operation at the Chatuchak district command centre, expressed cautious optimism.

 

He explained that the excavator's 40-metre reach would allow crews to tackle the debris at the highest point, known as Point E, on floors 28 and 29, where it's believed a significant number of the 71 missing individuals may still be located.

 


"Smaller excavators can't get up there yet, but the SK-1000 can operate from the ground in Zones A and B and reach up to scoop away the debris layer by layer," Governor Chadchart told reporters. "Hope remains."


 

However, the rescue teams are facing significant challenges, including tough steel structures within the collapsed building that are proving difficult to move. Cutting torches are being used in conjunction with the excavators to overcome these obstacles.
  



 

The governor also assured that there was no shortage of fuel for the heavy machinery, with 4,000 litres being allocated daily. A fleet of around 24 machines is currently on site, and maintenance crews are working to address any hydraulic issues that arise during the demanding operation.

 

Meanwhile, the discovery of over 45,000 tonnes of red dust at a Rayong factory where substandard steel linked to the collapse had been impounded has added another layer of concern to the investigation.

  



 

The latest figures released by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration at 10:00 AM on Friday confirm 23 fatalities and nine survivors rescued so far. A total of 103 people were affected by the disaster.

 

The Earthquake Monitoring Division of the Meteorological Department reported a minor 3.3 magnitude aftershock in Myanmar at 06:15 AM today, which did not impact Thailand. The total number of aftershocks recorded since the initial earthquake now stands at 439.

 

The focus of the rescue operation remains on Point E and a connecting walkway between Zones B and C, where bodies were recovered yesterday. Authorities are hoping that reaching these areas will lead to the discovery of more survivors.

(2025/04/10-00:00)