Moments of levity pierce the sombre atmosphere as a team of golden retrievers, taking a break from their rescue efforts, bring smiles to the faces of the waiting relatives. The playful dogs offer a brief respite from the overwhelming grief.

Two rescue dogs in Thailand switched roles briefly on Wednesday to provide emotional support following five days spent sniffing for signs of life in a mountain of rubble left after a tower crumbled in last week's earthquake.

At least 21 deaths have been reported in Thailand. More than half came from the collapsed skyscraper, meant to house the country's State Audit Office.

The contractors of an under-construction tower that crashed in Bangkok during last week’s earthquake apparently used substandard steel bars made by a factory that had been shuttered by authorities.

Thailand officials have launched an investigation into the collapse of a Bangkok skyscraper that failed to withstand a 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday.