BANGKOK, 14 August 2014 – Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office ML Panadda Diskul has discussed with related units about ways to prevent a future repeat of the recent building collapse while urging for stricter inspections of construction projects.
At Government House, ML Panadda called a meeting with concerned agencies, both public and private, with a view to following up on the progress of the effort to rescue construction workers trapped under the collapsed condominium building in Pathum Thani. The meeting acknowledged a report that the operation to clear the debris from the site had been completed by over 90 percent.
Eleven people have been confirmed dead from the accident while it is believed a few more bodies are still waiting to be discovered beneath the rubble.
The meeting also expedited the assistance of victims and their families. It was reported that compensation for funeral expenses had been paid to relatives of some of the deceased.
ML Panadda was informed that the fallen building had been improperly designed, making it vulnerable to accidents during the construction process. Investigations also revealed that the structure was not covered by insurance. Therefore, the meeting came up with a regulation that would require the building owner to obtain insurance prior to construction in order to give the structure an extra stage of inspection.
