Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt expressed renewed hope today that survivors may still be trapped beneath the wreckage of the collapsed State Audit Office building after a woman’s voice was detected deep within the rubble.

Scan shows possible survivors in depths of collapsed Bangkok skyscraper

Rescue workers, who had been using heavy machinery to clear massive concrete slabs and debris from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. last night, paused operations to allow search teams and sniffer dogs to scour the site. Around 10 p.m., a faint human voice was heard emanating from a cavity beneath the ruins.

In a desperate effort to locate the source, a small drone was lowered into the debris, capturing images of what appeared to be a person. An acoustic device was then deployed, picking up faint knocking sounds—a potential sign of life.

Rescuers in Bangkok Dig by Hand, Use K9s to Find Survivors in Collapsed Building#earthquake #Thailand #rescuers #rescue #Bangkok #BuildingCollapse #K9

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— Thenationthailand (@Thenationth) April 3, 2025

Governor Chadchart revealed that earthquake rescue experts suspect survivors could be trapped in the building’s former fire exits, an area matching where the voice originated. The cavity, buried roughly three meters deep, is tangled in a maze of twisted rebar, complicating rescue efforts.

Fearing that vibrations from machinery could further endanger anyone still alive, authorities halted heavy equipment operations this morning. Instead, Thai and foreign rescue teams are now painstakingly digging by hand to reach the void. Due to the precarious conditions, only 10 rescuers are permitted to work at a time.

Drawing from international disaster response experiences, Chadchart noted that survivors have been pulled from rubble weeks after collapses in past earthquakes. “I believe in miracles,” he said, clinging to hope.

Hope Fades but Persists as Bangkok Building Collapse Death Toll Rises to 13

Meanwhile, 72 construction workers remain unaccounted for, feared buried under the tons of wreckage. The race against time continues as rescuers labor to uncover any signs of life beneath the devastation.

-Thailand News (TN)