No other projects suffered similar destruction.
A Chinese-backed construction firm is being investigated over the collapse of a 33-storey high-rise in Thailand's Bangkok during Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar. The unfinished building crumbled in seconds, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air and trapping dozens under the rubble.
According to news agency AFP, as of Sunday, 17 deaths have been confirmed, with 32 injured and 83 still unaccounted for - most of them construction workers from the site of the collapsed building. Search and rescue teams continue working under intense heat to locate possible survivors. Thermal imaging drones have detected at least 15 people who may still be alive. Eight bodies have been pulled from the debris so far. Follow Myanmar-Bangkok Earthquake Live Updates here
Despite Bangkok's skyline being filled with high-rise buildings under construction, no other projects suffered similar destruction. Experts and officials are now questioning the structural integrity of the collapsed building, which belonged to Thailand's State Audit Office (SAO) and had been under construction for three years at a reported cost of over two billion baht (45 million pounds).
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an urgent investigation, giving an expert panel seven days to determine the cause of the collapse.
According to a report by the UK's Telegraph, the SAO building was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd. The latter is a subsidiary of China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group Company, which holds a 49 per cent stake - the maximum foreign ownership allowed under Thai law.
China Railway Number 10 Thailand, established in 2018, has operated as a contractor for large infrastructure projects, including office buildings, railways, and public roads, the report claimed. The company reported a net loss of 199.66 million baht in 2023, with revenue of 206.25 million baht and expenses of 354.95 million baht.
Its Thai shareholders include: Sophon Meechai (40.80%), who also holds stakes in five other companies; Prachuab Sirikhet (10.20%), with investments in six companies; Manas Sri-anant (less than 1%), who holds shares in ten other firms.
Beyond Bangkok, the earthquake caused devastation across Myanmar, where over 1,600 people have been confirmed dead, and thousands more injured. The tremors, which originated northwest of Sagaing, demolished buildings and infrastructure across Mandalay, one of Myanmar's largest cities.
Myanmar's junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, issued a rare international plea for aid, a stark departure from the regime's usual stance of rejecting foreign assistance. The country has declared a state of emergency across six regions, and hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties.
In Thailand, the earthquake forced the evacuation of hospitals and office towers. Even in areas where buildings remained standing, footage captured rooftop swimming pools spilling their water down high-rises as the tremors rippled through the city.
