The six-week operation in Bangkok involved hundreds of personnel, including international rescue teams in an around-the-clock effort during which search dogs and heavy equipment were deployed. The mission was severely hampered by the scale and weight of the debris.
“I want to thank all those who helped,” Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittupunt told reporters. “This was a life changing incident for many and a lesson.”
Authorities have so far been identified 86 of the dead, while forensic tests are being conducted on 100 out of 313 fragments of human remains recovered from the site, according to police.
The probe is focusing on those involved in the construction of the building, which started in 2020.
A Thai anti-corruption watchdog said it had flagged to authorities irregularities it found in the construction of the skyscraper before it collapsed, while industry officials said initial tests of materials at the site indicated the presence of substandard steel.
