BUSINESS

Dozens Trapped as Powerful Quake Topples Chinese-Built Tower in Bangkok

By Zou Xiaotong, Wen Simin, Feng Yiming and Denise Jia

Published: Mar. 28, 2025 11:34 p.m. GMT+8

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A 33-story building being built in Bangkok collapsed during a powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar on March 28, 2025.

A high-rise government building being built in Bangkok collapsed during a 7.9-magnitude earthquake centered on Myanmar Friday. Dozens of workers were trapped in the rubble as a major emergency response was triggered across the Thai capital.

The 33-story building in the city’s Chatuchak district crumbled in seconds as the quake struck at 1:20 p.m. local time. Debris was thrown into surrounding roads and a nearby train station. Videos from the scene showed panicked people fleeing as rubble fell to the ground and car horns blared.

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A 33-story government building under construction in Bangkok collapsed due to a 7.9 magnitude earthquake centered in Myanmar, trapping dozens of workers.
The structure was intended for Thailand’s National Audit Office and was a project by Italian-Thai Development PLC and China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group Co. Ltd.
Efforts to rescue trapped workers continue, with a state of emergency declared in Bangkok due to widespread disruption caused by the quake.

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What Happened When

By 2024：: The main structure of the building had been topped out, and interior work was underway.

March 28, 2025, 1:20 p.m. local time：: The 33-story government building in Bangkok's Chatuchak district collapsed as the earthquake struck.

March 28, 2025, 2:20 p.m.：: A 7.9-magnitude earthquake was centered on Myanmar, with tremors strongly felt in Bangkok.

Shortly after 2:20 p.m., March 28, 2025：: Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin declared a state of emergency in the capital.

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