K9 USAR search team withdrawn after 11 days of SAO rubble

The K9 Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Thailand team has announced the end of its search and rescue mission for people trapped under the debris of the collapsed State Audit Office (SAO) building today, after its 11-day tour of duty.



Suthikiat Sophanik, director of the National Disaster Search Dog Organisation, told a news conference this morning that the USAR Thailand team had been engaged in the search operation for since March 28, when the SAO building under construction collapsed due to an earthquake in Myanmar.

If the team continues to work, he said some rescuers or sniffer dogs risk getting injured, so other teams will now take over.

During the past 11 days, he said that none of the dogs or rescuers were injured, as he thanked the other rescue teams for their support. The team will now return to its base in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Meanwhile, the search for survivors and bodies continues today, as heavy machinery and rescuers take turns to remove debris. A few bodies have been located in zones B and C, but they cannot be recovered yet because access is blocked by huge concrete slabs and a web of tangled steel bars.

16 people are confirmed dead and nine were injured. 78 others are still unaccounted for.