Bangkok Earthquake: Why did only this China-backed company’s building collapse? Thailand orders probe

Bangkok Earthquake Today: An under construction 33-story high-rise building in Thailand’s Bangkok collapsed on Friday during the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an urgent investigation into the collapse, with an expert panel given seven days to determine the cause. But why is this building’s collapse under scanner?

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 high-rise building. There was a Chinese firm involved in the construction.

Tremors from the 7.7-magnitude quake centred in Myanmar hit Bangkok around 1:20 pm (0620 GMT), shaking the building.

Bangkok Earthquake Today: Latest Update

As of Sunday, 17 fatalities have been confirmed, with 32 injured and 83 still missing, primarily construction workers. Rescue teams are using thermal imaging drones to locate survivors, with 15 people potentially alive under the rubble.

The earthquake caused widespread destruction in Myanmar, killing over 1,600 people and injuring thousands.

What to Know About Bangkok Scraper?

According to reports, the collapsed structure was part of a project for Thailand’s State Audit Office (SAO), constructed over three years at a cost of over two billion baht.

The building was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd., a subsidiary of China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group Company, which holds a 49% stake, according to Telegraph UK.

What is China Railway Number 10?

China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd. 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.

Myanmar-Bangkok Earthquake Update

Rescue workers are still scrambling to find survivors in Myanmar and in Thailand. The quake had destroyed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads across various regions of Myanmar.

Rescuers in the Thai capital Bangkok are also fighting through rubble for workers trapped when a 33-storey skyscraper under construction collapsed. Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt told AFP that about 10 people had been confirmed killed across the city, most in the skyscraper collapse.

But up to 100 workers were still unaccounted for at the building, close to the Chatuchak weekend market that is a magnet for tourists.

The death toll in Myanmar has now risen to 1,644, news agency Reuters reported quoting AFP, which cited the country’s junta.

At least 139 people remain missing after Myanmar earthquake. The rescue efforts in Mandalay — the second largest city in Myanmar which was close to the epicentre of the quake — were hampered due to power outages as several still remain trapped in the debris of buildings, Al Jazeera reported. Further, Myanmar’s anti-coup fighters call two-week ceasefire to focus on earthquake relief