Firm with China link faces inquiry after Bangkok skyscraper collapse in quake

A construction firm with links to China is under investigation in Thailand over the collapse of a 33-storey highrise in Bangkok during the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday. The under-construction skyscraper crumbled like a pack of cards in no time, leaving a cloud of dust in the air. Dozens of construction workers were trapped under the rubble, and the rescue operation is still going on at the site.

The collapse of the highrise has led to 17 deaths already and left 32 injured, while 83 others are still untraced—most of them being construction workers at the site, reports UK-based Telegraph.

Rescue teams have been working vigorously under intense heat to locate survivors as thermal imaging drones have detected at least 15 people who may still be alive. Eight bodies have been pulled from the debris so far.
Even though the Bangkok skyline is dotted with unfinished highrise buildings, no other project suffered a similar fate and destruction, and consequently, experts are now questioning the structural integrity of the collapsed building, which belonged to Thailand’s State Audit Office (SAO). It had been under construction for three years at a reported cost of over two billion baht ($58 million).

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The Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul, has ordered an investigation into the incident and given an expert panel seven days to determine the cause of the collapse.

The SAO building was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd, says the Telegraph report. The latter is a subsidiary of China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group Company, which holds a 49 per cent stake—the maximum allowed under Thai law for foreign ownership.
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 earthquake also caused massive devastation across Myanmar, where over 1,700 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.