Audio By Carbonatix
A court in Thailand has issued 17 arrest warrants for people connected to the building of a skyscraper that collapsed during an earthquake in March.
The 30-storey tower, being built to house the State Audit Office, was felled when Bangkok felt tremors of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck neighbouring Myanmar.
Authorities said they had recovered 89 bodies from the rubble of the tower, while seven remain unaccounted for.
Police investigating the cause of the collapse said the warrants were issued to people involved in the design, construction and building supervision of the tower, local media reported.
Police named only one of the individuals as businessman Premchai Karnasuta, a former president of Italian-Thai Development PLC., one of Thailand's largest construction firms.
Thai media reported on Thursday that investigators had found structural flaws in a lift shaft in the building. Thai authorities are yet to release their findings into the cause of the building's collapse.
Footage showed high-rise buildings in Bangkok swaying and water falling from rooftop pools onto the streets below resulting from the strong tremors.
Buildings in the Thai capital emerged from the quake largely unscathed except for the State Audit Office - a tower made of blue glass and steel that was situated opposite the Chatuchak market, a popular tourist attraction.
It had been under construction for three years at a cost of more than two billion Thai baht ($59m; £45m) before it was reduced to rubble.
More than 400 workers were at the site when it collapsed, and drones, sniffer dogs, cranes, and excavators were brought in to help with the rescue effort.
The earthquake that hit Myanmar on 28 March caused the deaths of more than 3,000 people and injured more than 4,500, with tremors felt elsewhere, including in Thailand and south-west China.
Latest Stories
-
Since 2018…..60 Aayalolo buses render no accounts – GAPTE probe reveals
2 minutes -
2026 BECE: Candidates to select two Category A schools under new placement reforms
3 minutes -
Ghana’s Defining Pairing: The National AI Strategy and the Pan-African AI Summit
9 minutes -
Governance is about decisions, accountability—Deputy Finance Minister
10 minutes -
Ato Forson files tax returns, urges leadership by example
11 minutes -
Ho Teaching Hospital launches Environmental Sustainability and Beautification Initiative
13 minutes -
Big Push or big snub? Upper East shouldn’t be ignored in project distribution
16 minutes -
UNDP warns Ghana over borrowing costs despite signs of recovery
25 minutes -
2026 BECE: GES bans teachers, supervisors linked to last year’s malpractice from exam centres
26 minutes -
Gov’t moves to upgrade power system after Akosombo switchyard fire
27 minutes -
Finance Minister praises GRA for boosting voluntary tax compliance
30 minutes -
Miss Health Ghana, NMEP intensify fight against Malaria and galamsey in Atiwa West
31 minutes -
Energy Minister lauds Mahama’s presence at Akosombo recovery site
44 minutes -
Glitz Africa announces awardees for Ghana Women of the Year Honours 2026
51 minutes -
‘This is an act of God’ – Mahama on Akosombo Substation fire
53 minutes