THAILAND – CONSTRUCTION

At least 10 were injured and an unknown number of workers remain trapped inside the under-construction structure.

At least two workers were killed and more than 10 injured when a building under construction inside the Burapa University campus in Chon Buri collapsed Sunday night. A still unknown number of workers were believed to still be trapped under the debris.

Reports of a third worker killed could still not be confirmed.

The building, part of a cluster of buildings in the campus, collapsed while fresh cement was being poured for the second or third floor, initial reports said.

As of 1.07am rescue workers were still trying to help those still trapped at the collapsed Burapha Uni site.

Up to 30 workers were working at the building when it caved in but it was not clear how many were trapped. Several workers were pulled out alive from the rubbles by rescue workers.

Water was sprayed on the rubbles to prevent stiffening of cement that could complicate rescue operations. Rescue workers used loud speakers to call out to possibly trapped victims, asking them to state their locations.

Kom Chad Luek newspaper quoted a survivor as saying that 500 tonnes of fresh cement was being poured on 2nd floor when the building caved in.

Senior university officials said no university personnel or students were at the construction site.

The collapsed building of Burapha University is for Faculty of Education with construction budget of Bt237 million. The construction work had gone on for more than 300 days.

On May 13 last year, a similar accident occurred at building site of the Esplanade Cineplex Rattanathibet, killing 3 workers.