A massive sinkhole on Samsen Road in Bangkok has prompted urgent action, with workers rushing on Thursday to fill the site with sandbags and crushed stone in a bid to stop further subsidence and prevent nearby buildings from collapsing.
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) said its top priority was to stop soil and groundwater from seeping into Vajira Hospital station in Dusit district, which is under construction as part of the Purple Line extension.
Officials also laid sandbags to block rainwater from entering the cavity, which measured roughly 30 metres wide, 30 metres long and 20 metres deep. Heavy rain, the MRTA warned, could worsen the situation.
The collapse occurred just after 7am on Wednesday when a tunnel being built to house the subway track caved in, sending soil tumbling into the underground station. Broken pipes then released water into the hole, intensifying the slide.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, speaking at the site late Wednesday night, said some 50,000 sandbags had already been dumped into the sinkhole to plug cracks in the tunnel and stop more soil from flowing in.
Engineers assessing nearby structures said Vajira Hospital remained relatively safe thanks to protective underground concrete walls. However, a new and still unused building belonging to the Samsen police station lacked such reinforcement.
Soil beneath the station shifted from its foundation, leaving two pillars of the five-storey building gone. Officials acknowledged the structure was at serious risk of collapse.
About 50 police officers were evacuated from the station, along with around 20 households in the surrounding area.
Authorities also provided assistance to bedridden patients and elderly residents after the collapse damaged water mains and cut off tap supply. Workers scrambled to restore internet cables, including those serving Vajira Hospital.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who inspected the site on Wednesday, said repairs to the tunnel and road would take at least a year. He added that a major inquiry, led by the MRTA, would be launched to investigate the cause of the incident.
