BANGKOK Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged the public to not panic after yesterday’s powerful earthquake in Myanmar that shook the whole country as an army of engineers is now busy inspecting buildings in the metropolis to ensure their safety, Naewna newspaper said.
As of last night Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Traffy Fondue website was notified by around 2,000 people that there were cracks in about 700 buildings.
Approximately 130 engineers, with a hundred being volunteers, have started inspecting these buildings. However, the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning is responsible for government agency buildings.
Most of the buildings reported to have developed cracks are in the inner zone of Bangkok where there are highrises with practically none in the outer areas affected, Chadchart said.
The situation is expected to gradually improve and while the public is concerned about working in highrises on Monday, Chadchart said BMA is urgently inspecting them to make sure they are safe before the new week starts.
By law nine types of buildings, such as condominiums, hotels and department stores, must be inspected every year. There are building inspectors on duty and if they are busy BMA also has a list of 2,600 others who can proceed with the task.
The city goverrnor also pointed out that there are regulations to ensure that buildings are designed to withstand earthquakes.
Despite yesterday’s earthquake reaching 8.2 on the Richter scale only one unfinished building in Chatuchak area collapsed. BMA is pushing ahead with rescuing 15 people trapped in the rubble as spotted by thermal drone scanning conducted by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation last night.
Around 700 people who were worried about their safety spent the night at Bangkok’s public parks with BMA and the private sector providing them water and food. The parks are also open 24 hours today with music too being arranged.
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Top and Front Page: Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and his team are working hard to ensure the safety of buildings after yesterday’s earthquake. Photos: Naewna
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