A massive sinkhole opened up in downtown Bangkok, causing traffic mayhem and prompting evacuations. Royal Thai Police (RTL) said the incident happened at around 7am local time on Wednesday on Samsen Road in the city centre and near a hospital.
Video images caught the dramatic moment when part of the road suddenly disappeared, leaving a giant hole in its place. The sinkhole measured a whopping 30 x 30 metres (98 square feet) and was 50 metres deep (160ft), according to eyewitnesses. It pulled down power lines and exposed a burst pipe gushing water.
The subsidence of the road caused damage to the nearby police station, and forced evacuations from the hospital and nearby homes.
Further video footage showed abandoned trucks and other vehicles disappearing into the abyss, as the sinkhole continued to expand.
Police quickly cordoned off the site, as they sought to secure the area.
Noppadech Pitpeng – a hospital worker living nearby – described being woken up by a rumbling sound.
“The sound was like an electricity pole collapsing and my whole flat shook,” he said.
Fortunately, there were no casualties, a fact later confirmed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt added, “The hospital has no problems, but we are worried about the police station: that’s still dangerous and the public has been evacuated.”
Conflicting reasons for the cause of the sinkhole have been given by the city’s authorities.
Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of Bangkok’s disaster prevention unit, claimed the collapse was caused by a leaky pipe and recent heavy rainfall.
However, the governor pinned the blame on the ongoing construction work at a nearby subway station
In a statement, RTL said: “The National Police Commissioner has ordered the Metropolitan Police Bureau to coordinate with relevant agencies, such as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, to take action on road subsidence, damaged large water pipes, and to provide assistance to the public.”
