HELICOPTERS fought thick smoke and strong winds yesterday to rescue 93 people from the top floor of a blazing 36 storey building under construction in central Bangkok. But two others died and a third was in a serious condition in hospital after they jumped in panic from the seventh floor of the President Tower.
A body was found by firefighters inside the building later. Fifteen workers were injured, including eight who were seriously hurt and were admitted to hospital, police said.
A pilot of one of the helicopters carrying three people to hospital narrowly averted further tragedy when he was forced to make an emergency landing after the aircraft's rotor blade hit high tension wires near the hospital.
"There are no more people trapped in the building now," the Thai police chief, Gen Pracha Promnok, said at the scene.
The police fire brigade commander, Maj Gen Peeraphon Soontorngate, said the fire had ended in the building. "There is no more smoke now but we are still spraying water into the building because we want to cool it down. I have ordered my subordinates to stay at this site for the whole night as a preventive measure."
The fire started while workers were completing interior decoration in the building, due to be opened soon, police said.
Some workers said they heard two explosions from the seventh floor where workers were installing air conditioners before the fire started was on the eighth floor when I heard two big explosions and I saw the wall tear up. I rushed down to the staircase and found many people jammed there. Many of them rushed to the top floor," said Yongyod, one of the rescued workers.
The deputy surgeon general of the police hospital, Maj Gen Somsak Vivatanant, said 93 of those airlifted to safety were now under medical observation. Of the 101 workers involved in the drama, 83 were men and 18 women.
Hospital officials said all survivors, except eight who were admitted with serious injuries, had now returned home.
Up to seven helicopters took turns dropping ladders and safety belts to workers and winching them to safety in an operation lasting nearly four hours, witnesses said. More than a dozen people scrambled to safety using ropes to climb down from the middle of the building, witnesses said.
Mr Sakorn Sridee (28), a furniture worker, said be and 14 others were on the 33rd floor when the fire began.
"I heard two bangs below and shortly after lots of smoke. We were very frightened and did not know what to do. We ran up and down before deciding to go to the top floor," he said. "People were so frightened, some of them sounded like they had gone mad, and screamed for help. About an hour later we were picked by a helicopter."
Noi (45), a woman worker who was among those huddled on the top floor, said some fainted from the intense heat and had to be revived by others.
An investigation was under way to determine the cause of the fire, rescue officials said. Police said work on the building would be suspended until investigations were completed.