**Massive Earthquake Causes Skyscraper Collapse in Bangkok, Rescue Efforts Underway**

**As hope dwindles, emergency responders in Bangkok focus on rescuing survivors from a collapsed skyscraper, facing significant challenges amidst destruction.**

 

As darkness envelops Bangkok, frantic rescue operations continue at the site of a collapsed 30-storey skyscraper in Thailand's capital, following a powerful earthquake that struck the region. The tremor, measured at 7.7 in magnitude, originated from central Myanmar, causing structural damage that was felt across the border.

In the aftermath, rescue teams are grappling with the grim task of searching for an estimated 81 construction workers who are currently feared trapped beneath the debris. Witnessing the chaotic scene from a nearby bridge, reporters remain in shock at the extensive destruction—a pile of shattered concrete and twisted metal, stretching three storeys high.

Despite the arrival of specialized rescue teams and heavy machinery, the chances of finding survivors are rapidly diminishing. The construction site—once the future home of the national audit office—has now become a scene of despair. After three years of development and considerable investment, the building stands in ruins under the eerie glow of search lights and flickering floodlights, scattered across the perimeter.

Local residents have been recovering from the earthquake's impact, with one witness, Adisorn Kamphasorn, recounting the panic that ensued as the tremors began. "It took one minute for it to collapse. All of a sudden, there was smoke everywhere and everything went black," he recalled, struggling to contact his family after losing his phone in the chaos.

The site has become a somber gathering place, with emergency services deploying fire engines and rescue vehicles, while countless onlookers congregate to witness the events unfold. The Thai Defence Minister, Phumtham Wechachai, has confirmed the loss of at least three lives, as two covered bodies have been seen being removed from the wreckage.

As rescue efforts intensify, construction workers who managed to flee the structure relay harrowing experiences. Many describe moments of terror and confusion as the building began to collapse, urging fellow workers to escape.

With heavy machinery slowly arriving at the scene, the response teams must carefully navigate the debris to start their search for the missing, while the public holds its breath, hoping for miraculous recoveries as the night draws on in Bangkok. The efforts to save lives continue, even as the shadows of tragedy loom overhead, raising awareness of the dangers that natural disasters can bring.

*Additional reports by Rachel Hagan in London detail the extent of damage across the region.*