Demolition workers should reach the first floor of the collapsed 30-storey State Audit Office tower in Bangkok on Monday as the City Hall confirmed 62 deaths there.
Suriyachai Rawiwan, disaster mitigation director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said that on Sunday workers were digging into the rubble at the height of 2.57 metres above the first floor of the collapsed building and they should reach the first floor on Monday, a month after the tower collapsed during the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on March 28.
According to the director, more backhoes with jackhammers will be deployed because concrete slabs at the base of the rubble were solid.
Workers found another body at what used to be either the fifth or the sixth floor of the building on Saturday. They also found five human body parts. The director expected workers to find more bodies in a basement of the collapsed building.
On Sunday, City Hall confirmed 62 deaths, 32 missing people and nine injured people at the collapse site. More than 250 human parts had been sent to forensic police for identification.
Meanwhile, deputy government spokesman Karom Polponklang said the Labour Ministry had so far paid about 38 million baht in compensation for people killed in Thailand during the March 28 earthquake.
Compensation went to relatives of more than 50 dead victims nationwide, including over 40 fatalities at the collapsed State Audit Office tower, he said.
For general injuries, compensation is capped at 65,000 baht per case. For severe injuries, the financial aid reaches up to 1 million baht per case.
Those who seek treatment at or are referred to state-run hospitals will have their treatment costs covered by the state until their treatment is concluded.
There was also compensation for forced sick leaves and disabilities, Mr Karom said.
