2 More Survivors At Thai Hotel Found As Bulldozers Begin Work

KORAT, Thailand - Workers rescued two women trapped for more than three days under the rubble of a collapsed, six-story hotel but gave up hope today that more survivors could be found.

Rescue teams had carefully sifted the wreckage by hand so it would not topple on survivors. But that stopped this morning. Cranes and bulldozers removed tons of rubble, and dump trucks hauled it away.

The Royal Plaza Hotel in Korat, 130 miles northwest of Bangkok, collapsed Friday, killing at least 88 people, including a U.S. Air Force sergeant, the Thai government said. About 225 were injured.

Some 50 to 60 people were said to still be buried. But, "We have no hope for survivors now," police Maj. Naras Savestanan said.

Late yesterday, a maid was saved after both her legs were amputated by a surgical team in the rubble. Three hours later, another hotel maid was evacuated. Naras said doctors were forced to amputate her legs at a hospital. Both women were in satisfactory condition.

Four hotel executives, meanwhile, were arrested and charged with criminal negligence that caused death, police said. Two other executives were being sought on the same charges.

A Thai newspaper reported that hotel management knew of cracks in rooms since last year. Repairs had been made to ceilings of at least 39 rooms on three floors, The Nation newspaper said.

At least two foreigners were killed: U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ramon Canda, who was part of a team installing telephone lines at the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, and Janet Mawdsley, 47, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.