'Quake' building collapses
A 10-year-old building believed to be weakened by the recent 6.3 earthquake in Laos collapsed in Mae Rim district yesterday. The building was part of a tourist information centre.
Jirachat Suatrakul, the provincial senior authority on security, said no one was injured. Only a pickup truck parked near the building was damaged. Entry to the two-storey building had been banned after it subsided slightly during the May 16 trembler. The foundation was probably no longer strong enough to support the building since it was shaken, Jirachat added. Meanwhile in Nakhon Si Thammarat, a raging inferno wiped out commercial buildings and homes in Muang district. The damage might go as high as Bt20 million, police said, adding that it was believed to be the worst fire in the province in 20 years. The blaze broke out about 5am in the community behind the Yaowarat Hotel and caused chaos among its guests as well as those staying at the nearby Bua Luang and Udom hotels. The flames spread rapidly, turning residences and buildings in an almost two-rai area into ashes. The cause of the conflagration is being investigated by police.
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