WHILE the whole country is now celebrating Songkran Festival the large team searching for victims of the collapsed State Audit building continues working and as of 4 p.m. today (Apr. 12) of the total of 103, 35 have been confirmed to have died, with eight more bodies found since yesterday, nine injured and 59 being followed up, Amarin TV said.
Mr. Ekwaranyu Amrapal, a spokesman of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), said today’s operation focused on zones B4 and C1 where the USAR Thailand team said there could be survivors as some light was seen.
However, the operation must be carried out carefully so as to not endanger the USAR team and machinery. Zone E, which is right on top, is being reduced in conjunction with the search for survivors.
There is a good chance of finding victims in Zone B4 because this is where the staircase of 30-storey building that collapsed during the March 28 earthquake was located. It is also where the Israeli team found vital signs.
The rescue crew have dug close to this point but cannot go any further because of a huge block of concrete. Instead the focus is on opening up Zone E to find survivors in both zones B4 and C1.
Meanwhile, altogether 19,163 cases from buildings that cracked during the earthquake were reported to BMA via its Traffy Fondue website. Of these 17,225 were cleared as being green and safe to use, 387 are in the yellow category while 34 are marked red with these located in two buildings. Still being checked are 1,517 cases.
Owners of over 5,000 buildings were told to bring in inspectors to examine the structure. Of these 2,938 were reported to be safe to use while 173 needed specific repairs.
A total of 201 projects where cranes are being used were halted for inspection with 123 of them cleared.
Regarding assistance, a total of 613 households have obtained Airbnb accommodation with 436 being from Condo Life Ladprao Valley, Chatuchak district, and Condo Skyrise Avenue Sukhumvit 64, Phra Khanong district
The remaining 177 households were selected for being vulnerable because they have elderly family members or children while additional accommodation having been arranged for 150 persons at Wat Samian Nari School, Chatuchak district. but none taken, and at Chatuchak district relatives waiting centre which can accommodate 82 people with 70 having moved in and 12 places are available.
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Search for survivors at the collapsed building continues during the Songkran festival. Photos: Amarin TV
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