The Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) says the structure of the fire-gutted residential building in Yannawa district of Bangkok where one person was killed on Friday remains strong.
EIT president Suchatvee Suwansawat was speaking at a briefing yesterday after staff of the EIT and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) jointly inspected the fire-ravaged property in Soi Narathiwat 18 on Sunday.
The blaze killed Angkhana Aisiri, the 65-year-old wife of former senator for Ranong, Wikrom Aisiri, who owns the building. Six other people were injured.
Mr Suchatvee said that, based on the inspection, the building still has a strong structure and it is not at risk of collapse.
The blaze was likely to have been caused either by burning joss sticks and candles or an electrical short circuit, he said.
The property, which was built in 1992, has a spiral staircase, parquet floors and teak-wood decorated ceilings, Mr Suchatvee said.
The fire began on the third floor and quickly rose to the upper floors through a large stairway and it fed off wooden materials.
EIT secretary-general Siriwat Chaichana said the property was built when the laws governing high buildings were not so stringent. The owners did not break the law.
The inspection found no sprinklers, fixed ladders for a fire escape or fire extinguishers in the building, he said. The building was built in 1991, before the 1992 Building Safety Control Act requiring sprinkler systems and other fire safety features took effect.
After repairs, the building will still be habitable, he said.
Mr Siriwat also urged the owners of other old high-rise buildings in the city to install fire-control systems.
Nantawat Charasrojthanadet, head of KMITL's Civil Engineering Department, said the institute has prepared equipment to examine the building's structure.
The equipment includes exploration cameras, which can examine whether the building structure or foundation piles were warped in the blaze; coring tools, which can collect concrete samples for a strength test; and Schmidt hammers, which can test the strength of concrete.
It takes about two or three days to collect samples for the test, which will take at least seven days. Work is now under way to remove debris from the building to reduce weight on the structure.
Meanwhile, a fire broke out at three detached buildings in Soi Man Sri 2 of Pomprap Sattruphai district at 1.30am yesterday, according to police.
Two people were stuck on the fourth floor of the five-storey building and they were rescued safely.
Identified as Ekachai Sirisoponpan, 33, and Kanya Sasang, 66, they suffered smoke inhalation injuries and were taken to Hua Chiew Hospital.
An initial investigation found the fire started at a prayer area in front of the kitchen and quickly spread.