Survivor of quake-hit Thai building collapse cheats death thanks to a water break

The construction worker said the building collapsed ‘in the blink of an eye’ while he was trying to call his younger brother, who was inside

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Thai Army rescuers search for survivors at the site of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, in Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 2:08pm, 29 Mar 2025

A construction worker spoke about how he cheated death when a Bangkok skyscraper collapsed “in the blink of an eye” after a massive earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand.

Tearful family members gathered at the remains of the 30-storey building, which crumbled to rubble in just seconds on Friday, clinging to shreds of hope that their loved ones who were working when it fell might be found alive.

The tower was being built to house government offices when the quake struck, and construction worker Khin Aung said the building collapsed just after his brother had entered to start his shift.

“When my shift ended around 1pm I went outside to get water and I saw my younger brother before I went out,” he said on Saturday.

A rescuer searches for survivors with a sniffer dog at the site of a collapsed building on Saturday following an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: EPA-EFE

Tremors from the 7.7-magnitude quake centred in neighbouring Myanmar – where the ruling junta said at least 1,000 people had died – hit Bangkok at about 1.20pm, shaking the building.

Survivor of quake-hit Thai building collapse cheats death thanks to a water break

The construction worker said the building collapsed ‘in the blink of an eye’ while he was trying to call his younger brother, who was inside

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