Bangkok tower gone 'in blink of an eye'

BANGKOK — A construction worker told Saturday 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-story 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 1 p.m., I went outside to get water, and I saw my younger brother before I went out," he said.

Tremors from the 7.7-magnitude quake centered in neighboring Myanmar — where the ruling junta said at least 694 people had died — hit Bangkok around 1:20 p.m. (0620 GMT), shaking the building.

"When I went outside, I saw dust everywhere, and I just ran to escape from the collapsing building," Khin Aung said.

"I video-called my brother and friends, but only one picked up the phone. But I can't see his face, and I heard he was running.

"At that point the whole building was shaking, but while I was on a call with him, I lost the call and the building collapsed."

Authorities say up to 100 workers may be trapped in the mass of rubble and twisted metal that is all that remains of the tower. At least five are confirmed dead, but the toll is almost certain to rise.

"I can't describe how I feel — it happened in the blink of an eye," said Khin Aung.

"All my friends and my brother were in the building when it collapsed. I don't have any words to say."

Desperate relatives

Bangkok's skyline is ever-changing, with buildings constantly torn down and shiny new skyscrapers thrown up.

The ceaseless reinvention is powered by an army of laborers, a huge proportion of whom are drawn from Myanmar by the prospect of regular work, a peaceful country and better wages than at home.

Many relatives of workers from Myanmar gathered at the site on Saturday hoping for news of the missing.

Khin Aung and his brother — married with two children — have been working in Bangkok for six months.

"I heard they sent 20 workers to hospital, but I don't know who are they, and my friends and brother are among them," he said.

"I hope my brother and friends are in hospital. If they are at the hospital, I have hope. If they are under this building, there is no hope for them to survive."

Thai woman Chanpen Kaewnoi, 39, waited anxiously for news of her mother and sister, who were in the building when it went down.

"My colleague called and said she couldn't find my mom or my sister. I thought mom might have slipped, and maybe my sister stayed to help her," she said.

"I want to see them; I hope I can find them. I hope they will not be lost. I still have hope, 50 percent."

As distraught families waited for news, rescue workers pressed on with the delicate task of searching the ruins without triggering further collapses.

'Everyone was screaming'

French tourist Augustin Gus was shopping for a t-shirt in one of Bangkok's many malls when a massive quake began shaking the building in the Thai capital.

"Just when I left the elevator, the earth started moving. I thought it was me... it was not me," the 23-year-old said.

"Everyone was screaming and running, so I started screaming as well."

The damage and toll was far smaller in Bangkok, with 10 people confirmed dead so far, most in the collapse of an under-construction skyscraper.

For many tourists who flocked to the popular destination, the quake was a disconcerting experience.

Some were lazing in rooftop pools when the powerful shaking began to slop the water off the edge of high-rise buildings.

Others were left stranded in the streets with their luggage when the city's metro and light-rail system shut down for safety checks after the quake.

The city's residents, unused to earthquakes, were not able to offer much guidance, said one business traveler from the Solomon Islands, who asked not to be named.

"Unfortunately there were no procedures in place" during his evacuation from the 21st floor of a Bangkok skyscraper on Friday.

"So everyone was getting confused," he said. "I just wanted to get out."

Cristina Mangion, 31, from Malta, was in her hotel bed when the shaking began.

"I thought I was feeling dizzy from the heat," she said.

Hotel staff came to knock at the doors of each room to offer help, and Mangion's father quickly messaged to check she was OK.

Despite the experience, Mangion and Gus were among the tourists out on Saturday at the sprawling Chatuchak market.

The popular tourist draw is not far from the scene of the deadly building collapse, and market security guard Yim Songtakob said crowds were thinner than usual.

"That's normal... people are scared," said the 55-year-old, who has worked at the market for a decade.

Still, Mangion said she would not be deterred by the tremors.

"I feel bad for what happened," she said.

"I think the best thing is to actually come here and still continue as if nothing happened.

"This weekend will probably be harder than usual for business," she added.

Gus also said he was not worried about enjoying the rest of his three-week trip.

"I'll still have great memories; it's just an experience, and that's why I'm traveling," he said.

Frenchman Gilles Franke, a regular visitor to Thailand who hopes to one day retire in the country, was equally sanguine about the risk of aftershocks.

"When it's your time, it's your time," the 59-year-old said.

"You can die when you cross the road; you can die at any time in your life."