BANGKOK, 5 March 2012 – After fire ravaged the Fico Building on Asok Road last Saturday, the building has now been sealed off; only authorities are allowed to enter the place for inspection.
Wattana District Office has announced that all unauthorized people, office workers included, are not allowed to enter the Fico Building, as the Engineering Institute of Thailand under His Majesty the King’s Patronage (EIT) is examining the integrity of the damaged building structure to see if the whole building needs to be demolished.
The fire broke out on the 7th floor of the building on Saturday, damaging the 7th to 11th floors. The authorities have concluded that more than half of the building has been damaged.
The Public Works Section of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has reported that the entire 9th and 10th floors have been completely burned.
In the meantime, the EIT will also inspect all buildings constructed before 1992, making sure they all have water sprinklers. It will also require that all buildings comply with the 1992 Building Control Act to ensure safety of people in the buildings.
