Thailand’s 33-Storey Collapse: Chinese Link Sparks Govt Investigation After Earthquake

The devastating earthquake of 7.7 magnitude that struck Myanmar also caused massive destruction in Thailand. A 33-storey building under construction in the capital Bangkok collapsed in a few seconds, raising a huge cloud of dust and debris and dozens of workers were buried under it. An investigation into this accident has begun. It is being told that the building was built by a Chinese company. This was the only building among the skyscrapers of Bangkok that collapsed completely in the earthquake. This is raising serious questions about its structural strength.

According to news agencies, 17 people have been confirmed dead in Bangkok so far, 32 people have been injured and 83 workers are still missing. Rescue teams are searching for people trapped in the rubble amid intense heat. Thermal imaging drones have indicated that at least 15 people are alive. So far 8 bodies have been recovered.

Why did this building collapse? Chinese company in the dock
This building belonged to the State Audit Office of Thailand and was being built at a cost of two billion baht (45 million pounds). This project was being built jointly by the Thai company 'Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD)' and China's 'China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd'. China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd is actually a subsidiary of China's state-owned company 'China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group', which has a 49% stake in this project.

33-Storey Collapse with Chinese Roots Faces Scrutiny
The company was founded in 2018 and works on large infrastructure projects such as railways, office buildings and public roads. But recent financial reports showed that the company was running at a huge loss. It lost 199.66 million baht in 2023, while its revenue income was 206.25 million baht and expenses reached 354.95 million baht.