SURIN, 17 May 2014, – The truth seeking committee investigating the case of the rooftop collapse of Siam Global House in Surin Province, has indicated that the building’s lack of structural integrity may have been the cause of the incident on May 13th that killed six people.
Deputy Governor of the province Thaworn Kusonchat told the media of progress in the case after leading the committee to investigate the site, saying that the length of the collapsed canopy was 70 meters. He said the first 20 meters was supported by poles welded to the wall, but the remaining 50 meters was only supported by blocks of bricks without any other concrete structure to hold the canopy more firmly.
The committee also discovered that the structure had been used to display a large billboard, the weight of which may have contributed to the collapse. Surin Police officials in charge of the case revealed that the department is currently examining the evidence, adding that the building owner could be subjected to legal action for causing deaths resulting from a neglect of safety measures, if there is substantial proof that the building didn’t conform with structural standards.
Representative of Siam Global House Public Company Limited however claim that the incident was an accident caused by a raging storm on the day.
