Bangkok: The collapsed new Office of the Auditor General building has been restored significantly, with nearly 70% of the building’s structure continuously reduced in height. The operation to salvage the collapsed building, which succumbed to an earthquake, is progressing steadily with ongoing efforts to manage the wreckage and search for missing persons.

According to Thai News Agency, Director of the Office of the Auditor General and other officials, including Assoc. Prof. Thawida Kamolvech, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, and Mr. Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Bangkok Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, held a progress meeting at the joint command center. They discussed the continuous demolition of building debris and the search efforts for missing persons, emphasizing the critical operations involving heavy machinery and personnel to manage the site and minimize dust spread.

Mr. Suriyachai revealed that the height of the building’s wreckage has been reduced by an average of 1.17 meters. Maintaining this pace could allow reaching the first floor by the month’s end. A plan is in place for the basement floor, with strategic use of space for heavy machinery. The goal is to ensure continuous work without losing time, with a focus on excavating and removing cement scraps to facilitate operations.

The dismantling process involves reducing height from the top and excavating upper parts to remove cement and cut steel. Zones A1-A3 and D2-D4 have already been reduced, leaving work to be done on parts of Zones A and D and reducing the height of Zones B and C. Challenges remain, particularly with steel causing machinery breakdowns, but repairs are underway to ensure continued progress.

During the recovery operations, two bodies were found in a stairwell, with further discoveries of flesh and bone fragments. The search focuses on lower floors, where about 40 people were working below the 15th floor at the time of collapse. Calculations based on the height of the wreckage indicate the potential location of missing individuals, guiding ongoing search efforts.

Currently, 30 heavy equipment units are in use, with plans to continue daytime operations and nighttime work with reduced machinery. Personnel from military and government sectors, along with volunteers, are committed to completing the mission and recovering all bodies.

At 5:00 AM, 107 personnel and 3 K-9 units conducted a blanket search, meticulously working to return bodies to relatives. The removal of building debris continues, with sufficient space for managing materials. The operation is approximately 70% complete, with a focus on verifying the number of missing persons, which stands at 103 according to current reports.

The incident command center of Chatuchak District Office confirmed 103 victims, with 53 confirmed deaths, 9 injuries, and 41 still missing. The search team recovered body parts of three more missing persons, with remains sent for identification at the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine.