Foreign and local emergency response teams research for individuals buried in 75, 000 kilograms of fell material and metal
Susan Redmond looked exhausted after spending hours searching for survivors at the site of the State Audit Office ( SAO ) building collapse in Chatuchak district on Sunday.
By her aspect was Sahara, a 4-year-old golden retriever rescue dog.
Ms Redmond is a member of the Thailand Rescue Dog Association, and Sahara is one of 11 save puppies registered under the organization that were deployed to find individuals and body trapped under the wreckage. The decline followed a 7.7 scale earthquake on March 28.
Camping in Chatuchak Market, directly across from the crashed building, Ms Redmond has been stationed at the page since Friday, handling three save canines: Sahara, Lily and Safari, who are highly trained for search and rescue operations.
Their abilities are certified by the International Search and Rescue Dog Organization ( IRO ), qualifying them for international rescue operations, including the major earthquake in Turkey in 2023.
Ms Redmond said the dangerous environment, filled with debris, broken glasses and intense heat, poses difficulties for the rescue dogs.
Each puppy works in groups and may rest every 20 hours to prevent stress. They were trained to detect both injured persons and dying patients. When they identify a potential victim or system, they signal to their managers.
” We don’t measure success by the number of lives saved. The puppies ‘ job is to find possible survivors and call us so we can continue searching. We have no plans to stop, we are pressing forward with the operation”, Ms Redmond said.
The Bangkok Emergency Medical Center ( Erawan Center ) reported on Sunday that 15 bodies have been recovered, 19 people were injured and more than 70 remain missing.
Support from abroad
Another important member in the evacuation procedure was Mike Leum.
Mr Leum, the leader of 6: 8, a volunteer save company based in Los Angeles, California, said Thai officials contacted his group for help.
He arrived at the scene on Monday, noting the condition in Bangkok differed from his past expeditions in Turkey and Ukraine.
” Although this is just one fell creating rather than an entire town, the challenges are related– how can we save victims as quickly as possible”, he said. ” The most terrible time was finding a snack in the dust and having no idea if its owner was protected or never”.
Mr Leum emphasised the importance of desire.
” Don’t lose faith. I previously helped save a child trapped under dust in Turkey for over 10 times. We must always have hope”.
‘ Moment is important’
An Israeli commander, who chose not to reveal his name, gave a press conference at the Jewish ambassador on Friday before the soldiers departed Thailand that day.
He was leading Israel’s rescue group, which comprised 22 experts with various technical skills.
The captain said his staff began preparing to travel to Thailand to aid in the recovery mission just minutes after it occurred as he was assured the Thai government may email them asking for assistance.
Time is critical for this mission, he said, adding they received the call on Saturday night and arrived in Thailand on Sunday evening.
He said that every devastation is unique and requires several professional expertise.
In this case, the fell building had similar buildings on each surface, making it difficult for survivors to show their exact location.
Moreover, over 75, 000 kilograms of concrete and material had fallen, making clear rescues challenging.
” The first 24 hours are the most essential for saving lives. The second 96 hours are considered the’ gold period’. Then that 120 hours have passed, we won’t give up. We’re making headway every day”, he said.
His team includes engineers using 3D graphical technology to analyse the house’s architectural decline and knowledge products questioning witnesses and survivors to collect data. This collaboration helps Thai officials make precise decisions.
” We are also working with supportive teams from Israel. We are carefully inspecting the wreckage, searching for any signs of life”, he said.
So far, his team has worked alongside Bangkok’s governor, Thai authorities and multiple international rescue units. ” We’ve reached a level of coordination where we can understand each other without speaking– just by looking at each other, we know what needs to be done next”, he said.
Although his team has so far found only bodies and no survivors, the Israeli colonel said that they will keep searching. ” We haven’t lost hope. We are still looking for signs of life”, he said.
Susan Redmond leads a team of 11 rescue dogs, including Sahara, a 4-year-old golden retriever with extensive experience. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
Leum: ‘ We must always have hope’