Bangkok officials end search operation at the skyscraper that collapsed following an earthquake
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities on Tuesday officially ended the search operation at the building under construction in the capital, Bangkok, that collapsed following an earthquake that killed dozens over a month ago.
The 7.7 magnitude quake on March 28 centered in Myanmar, more than 800 miles (1,200 kilometers) away, killed at least 96 people in Bangkok, mostly at the collapsed site. More than 3,000 were killed in Myanmar.
Eighty-nine bodies have been retrieved from the rubble while seven people remain unaccounted for at the site, officials said. They said they would continue to test hundreds of pieces of human remains to identify those still missing.
The collapse
sparked questions about
the enforcement of construction safety
and corruption. The high-rise building, meant to be the new office of the State Audit Office, was the only building that suffered a total collapse that day.
The police on Tuesday said they are still investigating and will continue to collect evidence from the collapse site until the end of this month.
Authorities are probing several companies and individuals for any wrongdoing in relation to the collapse, including the state-run Chinese contractor, China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group. The investigation has led to the arrest of its Chinese executive in Thailand, identified as Zhang, and three Thai shareholders on suspicion of operating the business through the use of nominees.
Foreigners can operate a business in Thailand, but it must be a joint venture with a Thai partner, and they cannot own more than 49% to protect local competitiveness.
Another Thai-Chinese company,
Xin Ke Yuan Steel, also came under scrutiny
over the quality of the steel rods provided for the building. Industry Minister Akanat Promphan said two types of steel rods found at the collapse site did not pass safety standards and that Xin Ke Yuan supplied both. The company has denied any wrongdoing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NATO chief Rutte calls for 400% increase in the alliance's air and missile defense
LONDON (AP) — NATO members need to increase their air and missile defenses by 400% to counter the threat from Russia, the head of the military alliance plans to say on Monday. Secretary-General Mark Rutte will say during a visit to London that NATO must take a 'quantum leap in our collective defense' to face growing instability and threats, according to extracts released by NATO before Rutte's speech. Rutte is due to meet U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing St. ahead of a NATO summit in the Netherlands where the 32-nation alliance is likely to commit to a big hike in military spending. Like other NATO members, the U.K. has been reassessing its defense spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Starmer has pledged to increase British defense spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2027 and to 3% by 2034. Rutte has proposed a target of 3.5% of economic output on military spending and another 1.5% on 'defense-related expenditure' such as roads, bridges, airfields and sea ports. He said last week he is confident the alliance will agree to the target at its summit in The Hague on June 24-25. At the moment, 22 of the 32 member countries meet or exceed NATO's current 2% target. The new target would meet a demand by President Donald Trump that member states spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO and complained that the U.S. provides security to European countries that don't contribute enough. Rutte plans to say in a speech at the Chatham House think tank in London that NATO needs thousands more armored vehicles and millions more artillery shells, as well as a 400% increase in air and missile defense. 'We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,' he plans to say. 'Wishful thinking will not keep us safe. We cannot dream away the danger. Hope is not a strategy. So NATO has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance.' European NATO members, led by the U.K. and France, have scrambled to coordinate their defense posture as Trump transforms American foreign policy, seemingly sidelining Europe as he looks to end the war in Ukraine. Last week the U.K. government said it would build new nuclear-powered attack submarines, prepare its army to fight a war in Europe and become 'a battle-ready, armor-clad nation.' The plans represent the most sweeping changes to British defenses since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
China wants slimmer pigs
By Ella Cao and Lewis Jackson BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese farmers and small firms have increasingly bought market-ready pigs from larger breeders and fattened them in a bet on higher prices, but the government is cracking down on the speculative practice to slim down hogs and stabilise the market. For small breeders, "refattening" or buying adult hogs from big producers and feeding them for an extra few months until they put on an extra 40-50kg is a way to gamble on pork prices rising. But analysts say regulators are concerned the bets fuel big price swings and squander feed, in the latter case clashing with a national push to cut grain use in livestock, especially as the trade war with the U.S. underscores a long-standing goal to reduce dependence on food imports. "It can lead to short-term shortages followed by a glut, driving big price swings and unsettling the market," said Pan Chenjun, senior animal protein analyst at Rabobank. "The government seems intent on stabilising pork prices, which remain weak, while protecting small farmers from losses and curbing speculative behaviour," Pan added. Muyuan Foods, China's top pig breeder, told state-run Beijing News in late May that it had halted sales to refatteners, after rumours of a policy meeting targeting the practice boosted pig firm stocks. A crackdown is already underway, according to a source directly familiar with the matter and two briefed by others involved, one of whom said Guangdong province in southern China is a particularly strict enforcer. The National Development and Reform Commission and Muyuan did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. China, the world's biggest pork consumer, is grappling with weak demand and oversupply that have eroded margins. Cash hog prices have hovered around 14 yuan per kg since February, down from a peak of 21 yuan last August, according to MySteel data. Refattening boosts pork supply when the pigs hit the market and worsens price drops when the market is already falling, said Lin Guofa, senior analyst at Bric Agriculture Group, a consultancy. A 150-kg pig yields about 142% of the pork produced by a 115-kg pig, Lin added. Feed efficiency is also a concern as China looks to cut grain use in animal feed, especially with the trade war speeding its move away from the U.S. soybeans that mostly go into animal feed. Pigs are most efficient at around 120 kg - beyond that, they eat more but grow less, Pan said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Chelsea signs French defender Sarr from sister club Strasbourg
LONDON (AP) — Chelsea signed a top young player from its sister club by bringing in French teenage defender Mamadou Sarr from Strasbourg on Monday. Strasbourg, which plays in France's top league, is owned by the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital that bought Chelsea in 2022. Advertisement The 19-year-old Sarr is a France under-20 international who was a regular last season as Strasbourg finished in seventh place to seal a place in the Conference League playoffs. He was previously at Lens and Lyon. Chelsea won the Conference League last season and will play in the Champions League after finishing in fourth place in the Premier League. Strasbourg was bought by Chelsea's ownership group, BlueCo, in 2023. Chelsea said Sarr had signed a contract until 2033 but didn't disclose the transfer fee. ___ AP soccer:
