Thai minister says 90 missing, 3 dead at site of high-rise building under construction
Bangkok: Thailand's defence minister says 90 people are missing and three are confirmed dead at the site where a high-rise building under construction collapsed when a powerful earthquake hit the capital.
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai offered no more details about the ongoing rescue efforts but first responders said that seven people had been rescued so far from outside the collapsed building.
The building came down suddenly when the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Friday, sending a crane toppling off the roof and a giant plume of dust into the air.
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'The Wire' says its website blocked across India by Government
New Delhi: Access to the independent news website The Wire (thewire.in) has been blocked across much of India following an order reportedly issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move has drawn strong criticism from The Wire, which termed it a violation of the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press.
The internet service providers are saying multiple things. We have learnt it is per orders of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. pic.twitter.com/GCz4d6EggP
— The Wire (@thewire_in) May 9, 2025
Internet service providers (ISPs) have cited different reasons for the disruption, but The Wire’s founding editor, Siddharth Varadarajan stated that at least two ISPs have informed customers that the website is being blocked under government orders. Some users in India can still access the website, although the block appears to be in the process of full implementation.
At least two ISPs are telling their customers that The Wire cannot be reached because the government has issued orders to block the site.
— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) May 9, 2025
Some readers in India may still be able to access https://t.co/BCdnZhucBj directly until the blocking order gets fully implemented.
The… pic.twitter.com/Qe44BUUbbx
Pratik Sinha, co-founder of Alt News, shared a workaround on X to continue accessing the website. “If you're on a Firefox-based browser, then enable DNS over HTTPS,” he wrote.
To access https://t.co/tcIZ6ths5j in India, please enable secure DNS in your browser settings. https://t.co/9nhSjpVUYy pic.twitter.com/fJWnFwH5BK
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) May 9, 2025
In a public statement, The Wire called the move “blatant censorship” and questioned its timing. “At a critical time for India, when sane, truthful, fair and rational voices are among the biggest assets the country has, this decision is deeply concerning,” the editorial team said.
Siddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of The Wire, noted that while the site is currently inaccessible within much of India, it remains fully reachable through VPNs and abroad. He added that a mirror site will be launched soon.
The Wire confirmed that it is pursuing all legal and procedural measures to challenge the “arbitrary and inexplicable” order. “Our commitment to truthful and accurate journalism remains unwavering. Your support has kept our work going for the past 10 years, and we are counting on our readers to stand with us now,” the outlet said.
