BANGKOK (AP) 鈥 When the earthquake that hit Myanmar sent its tremors to Thailand, Naruemon Thonglek didn鈥檛 immediately know it also had collapsed a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok.
Seeing images of the debris on television news later, Naruemon immediately recognized the building where her long-time Burmese partner, his son and four of her friends had worked for the past month.
鈥淢y legs gave up. I lost all strength in my hands,鈥 she said. 鈥淎fter the quake stopped I called him, messaged him, but there was no response. I couldn鈥檛 contact him. I sent him voice messages and he never read it. Then I knew for sure that he must have been inside.鈥
At least 18 people died in Bangkok, Thailand's capital, more than 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) from the center of the magnitude 7.7 quake in Myanmar on Friday, which there.
In Bangkok, 78 people remain missing. Thai authorities are racing against time to find anyone left alive under the ruins as the crucial 72-hour mark passes. While the authorities have said they detected possible sounds of life, so far only one person was pulled alive from the rubble.
Tavida Kamolvej, Bangkok鈥檚 deputy governor, told reporters at the site Monday that crews are speeding up the search.
鈥淓very second really counts,鈥 she said.
Among those missing are the mother and younger sister of Chanpen Kaewnoi, who had been working at the site for a couple of months.
Chanpen said she couldn鈥檛 contact them after the quake, but later was told by a survivor that they had been on the fifth floor of the 30-story building.
鈥淗e told me that they ran from the fifth floor, and once he reached the ground, the building just collapsed,鈥 she said. 鈥淗e said he couldn鈥檛 find my mom and my sister. He said it was just a split second and he lost them.鈥
Naruemon said her partner, Kyi Tan, and the other five were assigned to work much higher up on the 26th floor. While her partner had extensive construction experience, this was his first high-rise project. As he left home on the morning of the quake, he said he would stay late in the hope of finishing his work by the end of the month.
Naruemon and Chanpen said they never heard their family members raise safety concerns while working at the building.
The authorities said they are investigating the cause of the building collapse as criticisms and concerns grow over safety and quality standards of Bangkok buildings. Chadchart Sittipunt, the city governor, has ordered a blanket inspection of all high-rise buildings in the capital.
Videos of the collapse show the building, which was meant to be a new State Audit Office, shaking a little before tumbling to the ground, sending a huge plume of dust into the sky as people scream and run away.
When Naruemon arrived at the site the following day, the scene of the ruins broke her spirit.
鈥淚 had a meltdown. I could only pray. I kept calling for them,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 wanted them to come back. I was so devastated. I didn鈥檛 know what to do.鈥
For two days, Naruemon walked around near the site with her family and friends, hoping to see any developments as heavy machines and rescue crews searched for survivors. She prayed and performed a religious rite asking the spirits to protect her loved ones.
鈥淚 want everyone trapped there to be found. In whatever conditions, I鈥檓 ok with it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e already made some peace with it. It鈥檚 been a few days already. A part of me still hopes they will survive, for a miracle, if it exists.鈥
