Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
Heroic Act: Father’s Daring Leap During Thailand Earthquake
In a dramatic rescue captured on video, a father in Bangkok, Thailand, demonstrated extraordinary bravery, leaping across a chasm 600 feet in the air to reach his wife and child as a powerful earthquake fractured their apartment building. The shocking incident unfolded on March 28, highlighting the terrifying impact of the seismic event on high-rise structures.
Incredible Leap of Faith Amidst Building Collapse
Kwon Young Jun, 36, a devoted father, executed the astonishing jump as the walkway connecting his residential block to an adjacent tower crumbled during the earthquake. Bystanders on the ground, documenting the effects of the 7.7-magnitude tremor, recorded the heart-stopping moment.
Reunion After the Quake
Following his courageous act, Kwon, originally from Seoul, South Korea, was later seen safely reunited with his family on the street below, a testament to the success of his perilous endeavor.
Father’s Instinct Takes Over
Recounting the harrowing experience, Kwon stated, “My only thought was to get back to my family, to save my wife and child.” He added, “I recognized it was an earthquake, the building was breaking apart, but I saw the gap and I just jumped.” His immediate reaction underscores the powerful instinct to protect loved ones in the face of danger.
Wife’s Shock and Relief
Kwon’s wife, Sukanya Yutuam, 35, expressed her shock upon witnessing the footage. “It’s incredibly dangerous. When I watched the clip, I was as stunned as everyone else,” she commented, emphasizing the perilous nature of her husband’s spontaneous decision.
Building’s Structural Failure During Earthquake
Yutuam explained that her husband had been exercising on the 52nd floor of one of the condominium complex’s three interconnected buildings when the earthquake struck. These structures are linked by sky bridges, one of which dramatically failed during the seismic event.
The interconnected buildings sway violently in the video as debris from the collapsing sky bridge plummets hundreds of feet.
Video footage zooms in to capture a faint figure leaping between the fractured structures, traversing the severed bridge.
Devoted father Kwon Young Jun risked his life to reach his wife and child when the earthquake devastated the building.
“Instinct Took Over”
“The events unfolded with incredible speed that day,” Yutuam, a beauty influencer, recounted. “Mindfulness was not a factor; instinct took over, prompting him to jump between the buildings.”
Minor Injuries After Audacious Rescue
Remarkably, Kwon emerged from the ordeal with only minor scratches on his arm, despite the immense risk involved in his daring rescue attempt. He explained that initially, the concrete bridge was not fully severed. Focusing solely on reaching his family, he ran and leaped, ignoring a loud crashing sound.
Family Evacuated Before Reunion
His wife and daughter were in their 30th-floor apartment when the earthquake hit. After successfully returning to their building, Kwon discovered they had already evacuated. He then descended over 40 flights of stairs to reunite with them outside.
Unwavering Family Devotion
Yutuam, known as Ms Bowyuri online, described her husband as consistently prioritizing his family above all else. “He always thinks of his family first, regardless of the situation, even to the point of overlooking the extreme danger of crossing to another building,” she stated, adding, “I made the right choice in my partner.”
Building Safety Assessment Post-Earthquake
The developer of Park Origin, the residential complex, affirmed the building’s continued safety following the Friday earthquake, citing comprehensive safety inspections, according to The Straits Times reports.
Kwon Youngjun, 36, and his wife Sukanya Yatuam, 35, during an interview recounting the earthquake leap.
Sukanya Yutuam, an online beauty influencer, expressed her shock at witnessing the video: “I was stunned, just like everyone else.”
Sky Bridge Design for Seismic Activity
The company clarified that the structural integrity of the connecting bridge remained sound. It was engineered to detach from one building while staying connected to the other, specifically allowing the blocks to move independently during earthquakes. This design feature aimed to mitigate extensive structural damage during seismic events.
Broader Earthquake Impact in Bangkok and Myanmar
Bangkok experienced significant tremors from the powerful Friday earthquake, causing high-rise apartment buildings to sway violently, and some structures suffered damage. A building under construction in the Thai capital collapsed, trapping numerous individuals beneath the debris.
Casualties and Ongoing Rescue Efforts
While two bodies were recovered from the rubble by Monday, many remained missing, and at least 20 fatalities were confirmed in Bangkok. The search and rescue operations continued as authorities worked to locate those still trapped.
Devastation in Myanmar
Neighboring Myanmar, where the earthquake‘s epicenter was located, faced even greater devastation. The death toll in Myanmar reached 2,886, with 4,639 injuries and 373 individuals missing, according to China’s Xinhua News Agency, citing Myanmar’s state administration council information team.
Myanmar and Chinese rescue personnel carrying a body recovered from the collapsed Sky Villa Condominium development in Mandalay on April 2, 2025.
Onlookers witness a dust cloud rising after a building under construction in Bangkok collapsed on Friday.
Concerns over Disaster Scale and Aid Response
Myanmar’s ruling military junta faced accusations of downplaying the true extent of the disaster. The BBC speculated that the actual death toll could be significantly higher. The UN warned that the earthquake exacerbated an already critical situation in Myanmar, which is grappling with a four-year civil war.
Humanitarian Crisis and Aftermath
Five days post-earthquake, numerous individuals in Myanmar were still sleeping outdoors, lacking aid, unable to return to damaged homes, or fearful of aftershocks. The US Geological Survey’s predictive models estimated potential casualties exceeding 10,000, with economic losses surpassing the country’s annual economic output, highlighting the immense scale of the disaster.