The Thailand Police have arrested four Chinese nationals for allegedly unlawfully entering the site where an underconstruction building had collapsed following a strong earthquake and attempting to retrieve documents in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok on Sunday.
Deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol Maj Gen Napasilp Phulsawat, told The Edge Malaysia that the four men allegedly entered the restricted zone without authorisation, and removed 37 files from the rear of the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) construction site.
“After receiving reports from the public regarding individuals removing documents from the site, authorities launched an investigation,” Phulsawat said.
Napasilp Phulsawat said all retrieved documents have been taken into police custody.
He said investigators would consult engineers to analyse the seized materials for evidence related to the collapse.
He said the initial questioning revealed that these Chinese men had possessed valid visas, work permits, and passports.
Chinese Construction Firm
A Chinese construction firm is being investigated over the collapse of a 30-story under-construction high-rise building when strong tremors were felt in Bangkok.
Following the declaration, unauthorised people were prohibited from accessing the zone under the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act.
The Chatuchak District Office is preparing a formal complaint to charge the individuals under the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act, reported The Edge Malaysia.
Under the Act, unauthorised entry into a restricted disaster area carries a penalty of up to three months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 6,000 baht (RM783.06), or both, reported the news portal.
Building Collapse
At least 17 people died, and 32 others were injured, most of them construction workers, after the under-construction building collapsed in Bangkok, a major tourist destination in the world which attracts tourists from across the globe every year.
Several people still remain missing,
Rescue workers are trying hard to locate the missing people.
