Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse: 17 Face Charges in Deadly Incident
Tragedy in Bangkok: Skyscraper Collapse Claims Scores of Lives
Seventeen people, including a prominent construction tycoon, are wanted in Thailand in connection with the deadly collapse of a Bangkok skyscraper during a powerful earthquake. The 30-story tower, which was under construction and destined to house the State Audit Office, crumbled to the ground in a matter of seconds when a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Thailand and neighboring Myanmar on March 28th.
Authorities have recovered 89 bodies from the wreckage, and seven individuals remain missing. The tower was the only structure in Bangkok to collapse during the quake, leading to questions about the quality of its construction.
Arrest Warrants Issued, Charges Filed
A court in Thailand issued arrest warrants on Thursday for the 17 individuals. Deputy Bangkok Police Chief Police Major General Somkuan Puengsap stated that the charges include violations of building codes that resulted in death, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the precise cause of the building’s collapse, and authorities have yet to release their findings.
Who is Facing Charges?
According to the police, those facing charges include executives and engineers from seven different companies involved in the design, construction, and supervision of the collapsed tower. Of the 17 individuals sought by police, only one has been publicly identified: Premchai Karnasuta. He is the former president of Italian Thai Development Plc., Thailand’s largest construction company.
Italian Thai Development has held meetings with investors and affirmed their cooperation with the ongoing investigation. However, this isn’t Premchai’s first legal entanglement. In 2021, he was convicted and sentenced to over three years in prison for poaching protected species. Rangers apprehended him at a jungle campsite in a wildlife sanctuary with the carcasses of endangered animals, including a black Indochinese leopard.
