The awnings of 13 commercial buildings at a market in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district collapsed on Wednesday evening, damaging seven cars and pickup trucks parked underneath. There were no reports of injuries.
The incident occurred at about 6pm on a row of 13 old three-storey commercial buildings located behind the Pracha Niwet 1 Market.
The awnings from the strutures’ second and third floors fell on the vehicles parked in the front of the buildings. Piles of concrete and other debris badly damaged some of the vehicles and also trapped people who were in some of the buildings at that time.
They were eventually rescued and authorities have sealed off the block. Officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s department of public works and town planning are inspecting the structural foundations of the buildings.
Chaiyanat Jaetiyanuwat, director of the BMA’s office market, said an inspection by Mahidol University has found 19 groups of buildings housing 177 rooms in the area had structural problems. Officials had sent warning notices and held meeting with residents three times urging them to vacate the buildings but they did not comply.
Mr Chaiyanat said the 13 buildings were constructed in 1982 and City Hall had told residents in February last year that an inspection found they were not safe.
