PAETONGTARN CALLS FOR URGENT INVESTIGATION INTO BANGKOK BUILDING COLLAPSE

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

BANGKOK, April 1 (Bernama) -- Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has directed the relevant ministers to investigate the collapse of the State Audit Office (SAO) building after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar sent tremors through the Thai capital last Friday.

Paetongtarn warned that failure of even a single building affects the country's image and that Thailand must be able to explain to the world what transpired.

"I have said before - this issue must be handled seriously through all proper processes. Even if it concerns just one building, it impacts Thailand’s reputation. We must find answers and explain to both the Thai public and the international community what exactly happened," she told reporters after chairing the Cabinet meeting at Government House on Tuesday.

Paetongtarn said that before the Cabinet session began on Tuesday, ministers discussed the collapse of the Office of the Auditor General’s building, including the cause of the incident and proposals from various ministries.

She added that each ministry has been assigned to assess the situation and proceed accordingly to ensure a swift fact-finding process.

The Prime Minister also urged authorities not to focus solely on the nationality of the construction company but to investigate all projects undertaken by the firm.

She confirmed that the collapsed building was a joint project between Thai and Chinese companies, adding that while Thai companies can collaborate with any country, the focus should be on the technical aspects of the incident rather than attributing blame based on nationality.

"This is about on-site accountability, not about which country a company is from. We do not want any country to misunderstand that we are blaming them. This is a matter of construction safety and responsibility," she said.

Paetongtarn also ordered an inspection to determine whether substandard steel had been distributed elsewhere after it was found that the steel used did not meet quality standards.

Meanwhile, the Bangkok Emergency Medical Centre, better known as the Erawan Centre, reported on Tuesday that the death toll in the Thai capital following the disaster has risen to 20, with another 34 people injured and more than 70 still missing.

It said most the fatalities occurred in the collapse of the State Audit Office building in Chatuchak District, where 13 bodies have been recovered.

"As of 8 am today (Tuesday), 13 fatalities have been reported, while over 70 people remain missing in the State Audit Office building that collapsed," it said.

On Friday, the construction site for the new headquarters of the State Audit Office, located in Chatuchak District near Bang Sue Grand Station, collapsed following the powerful tremors from the earthquake in Myanmar.

-- BERNAMA