The 30-storey skyscraper, set to house Thai government offices, collapsed in Bangkok when a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck neighbouring Myanmar.
“We have to investigate where the mistake happened,” said Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who has ordered a probe into the materials used at the construction site and its safety standards.
“What happened from the beginning since it was designed?” she said earlier. “How was this design approved? This was not the first building in the country.”
The development near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak market was a joint project involving China Railway No 10 Engineering Group (Thailand), an offshoot of China Railway Group.
The Chinese embassy in Thailand late on Tuesday expressed “deepest condolences” for the collapse and urged firms to “strictly” comply with Thai laws.
“The Chinese government has consistently urged Chinese companies overseas to abide by local laws and contribute positively to the society,” it said in a Facebook post only in Thai.
Beijing has dispatched a team of rescue experts and disaster relief personnel to assist in Bangkok and vowed to “continue supporting Thailand as needed”, it added. (AFP)
