Desperate Rescue Efforts Underway After Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse

Rescue teams work tirelessly against the odds to locate survivors in the rubble of a collapsed 30-storey building in Bangkok, following a powerful earthquake that also shook neighboring Myanmar.

As dusk falls over Bangkok, the scene is surreal. Rescue workers are engaged in a frantic search for survivors among the wreckage of a 30-storey skyscraper that fell at a construction site in Thailand's bustling capital. The tremors from a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock, wreaked havoc, toppling buildings and disrupting lives.

Standing on a nearby bridge, a group of reporters, including myself, observe the chaotic aftermath—the towering piles of concrete, twisted metal, and the silhouettes of dedicated rescue teams working tirelessly. Despite the arrival of professional rescue squads and military support, hopes of finding any more survivors appear dim. The building, under construction for three years and costing over two billion Thai baht (approximately $59 million), now lies in ruins.

Rescue operations at the site have drawn a crowd of curious onlookers, all eager to grasp the enormity of the situation. White tents for emergency aid border the area, while heavy machinery, including cranes, are brought in to remove debris and facilitate searches for approximately 81 workers believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.

The Minister of Defence, Phumtham Wechachai, confirmed that at least three fatalities have been reported as search efforts progress. Eyewitnesses recount the horror of the moment the building collapsed, as they navigated through smoke and chaos.

Among those who experienced the disaster firsthand, 18-year-old Adisorn Kamphasorn recalls the terrifying moment he ran from danger. Just minutes before the disaster, he was hauling materials down from higher floors when the tremors struck. "It took one minute for it to collapse. Smoke engulfed everything," he recalled, fearful for both his life and his family's safety after losing his phone in the commotion.

Witnesses report a mix of Thai and Burmese construction workers in the building. One worker, Nukul Khemutha, described the panic as they urged one another to escape, clinging to one another during the frightening experience. Survivors, sitting together to calm down, showed visible signs of distress as the focus remained firmly on the search and rescue mission.

As heavy machinery continues to mobilize and drilling noise fills the air, rescue workers brace themselves for a long, challenging night ahead, determined to save any life remaining under the staggering weight of the collapsed structure.