One worker was killed and 11 more injured after an ancient Buddhist temple collapsed while it was being renovated yesterday afternoon (September 26).

Dozens of specialists were restoring a 20-metre-high stone monument built in the 1700s when it collapsed trapping men beneath the rubble in Bangkok, Thailand, at around 1:30pm.

Eleven stranded workers - nine men and two women - were rescued and later in the evening a 12th victim was recovered from the debris at the Phraya Tham Voraviharn Temple.

He was rushed to hospital but later pronounced dead. Three of the men were seriously injured and are in a critical condition in hospital.
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Police said the workers were moving in steel girders to support the foundation of the pagoda when it tilted and crashed. The structure that fell was a ''stupa'' used as a bell tower.

Lieutenant Colonel Peetya Hawangjoo said: ''The structure was 20 metres high and six metres wide. We are investigating why this happened.''

Eyewitnesses recalled loud rumbling noises and saw debris raining on the workers. Rescue workers said it took a few hours before they were able to pull the injured out of the debris.

The temple and the pagoda, which was designed as a bell tower, were said to have been built during the time of Thonburi era, in the late 1700s.

The Fine Arts Department, which started the renovation in May this year said it will investigate the pagoda disaster.