The collapsed skyscraper, near Chatuchak market, was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd.
In Myanmar, the earthquake so far has claimed around 1,700 lives, injured 3,400 others and left over 300 persons missing as of Sunday.
Why did Thailand take the hit of Myanmar earthquake
Experts have said that earthquakes that are very shallow, like this one which just 10 km from the surface, increase the amount of shaking that takes place at the surface. Geologists even described the force of the quake as equivalent to that of “334 atomic bombs”.
Dr Rebecca Bell, a reader in tectonics at Imperial College London, explained to BBC that the size of the earthquake was massive because of the type of fault, which was of ‘straight nature’.
“This straight fault also means a lot of the energy can be carried down its length – which extends for 1,200 km south towards Thailand,” she said.
And in Bangkok, which is built on soft soil, seismic waves i.e., the earth’s vibrations, slow down and build up and get bigger in size. Hence, making the ground shaking even more intense.
‘Flat slab’
As per a BBC report, Prof Amorn Pimarnmas, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Thailand, said despite regulations being in place in 43 provinces on earthquake-proofing buildings, less than 10 per cent of the structures were actually estimated to be resistant to quakes.
However, the collapsed skyscraper was relative and thus, updating building standards would have been applied to it. Dr Pimarnmas also noted that Bangkok’s soft soil could have played a part in its collapse, as it can amplify the ground shaking three to four times over.
Some experts also pointed towards a “flat slab”, a construction process wherein floors are made to rest directly on columns without the use of beams.
Dr Christian Málaga-Chuquitaype, a senior lecturer in earthquake engineering at Imperial College London, explained, “Imagine a table supported only by legs, with no extra horizontal supports underneath. While this design has cost and architectural advantages, it performs poorly during earthquakes, often failing in a brittle and sudden (almost explosive) manner.”
Some hope left
Meanwhile, friends and family of those trapped under the collapsed skyscraper showed some hope as thermal imaging drones reportedly identified at least 15 persons to still probably be alive.
But the optimism is beginning to tire down. One of the kins, Pat Kongporn, whose parents are stuck under the rubble, told The Telegraph that she spoke to her mother and father at about 12:30 pm (local time) on Friday, just before the earthquake struck.
Having travelled to Bangkok from a city 50 miles north, she said that she would stay until there is some information about her parents or until their bodies are found.
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times.
