Bangkok residents in chaos over false alarm

On the morning of March 31, a series of buildings in Bangkok fell into chaos as workers panicked and evacuated following rumors of tremors and cracks. However, after checking, officials confirmed that there was no threat and that it was just a false alarm.

According to city engineers, the cracks discovered were not new but were formed during the earthquake with its epicenter in Myanmar on March 28. They confirmed that the buildings were safe and were not affected by the aftershocks on the morning of March 31.

People are evacuated from buildings at the Government Complex in Laksi district, Bangkok, on the morning of March 31. Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill

The evacuation began at around 10 a.m. and affected several important buildings, including the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road, the Ministry of Labour in Din Daeng district, the courthouse on Ratchadaphisek Road, as well as the Government Housing Bank headquarters and Taksin Hospital. Several other offices, such as the Taxation Department and high-rise buildings on Silom Road, were also affected.

Deputy Interior Minister Sabeeda Thaised said there was no risk to the construction site. The Thai Meteorological Department said 15 aftershocks were recorded in Myanmar on the morning of March 31, the strongest of which measured 3.7 on the Richter scale at 9:29 and 10:05. However, these tremors were too small to affect Bangkok.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt both spoke out to calm public opinion, asserting that people were too worried after the previous earthquake. "People have returned to work as usual. Maybe they were too scared to see the old cracks," Mr. Chadchart said.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand and the Government Housing Bank also confirmed that operations were continuing as normal. Some employees left their workplaces voluntarily when they saw neighboring offices evacuating, but no official orders were issued.

After technical checks, the buildings involved have reopened, bringing Bangkok back to normal life.

Hoai Phuong (according to Bangkok Post, Sky News)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nguoi-dan-bangkok-nao-loan-vi-bao-dong-gia-post340822.html