(Bangkok, 25th) A shocking road collapse occurred in Thailand's capital, Bangkok, as a massive sinkhole swallowed a car and several utility poles. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties.
The accident took place on Wednesday (September 24) at around 7:13 am (Singapore time 8:13 am), on Samsen Road in front of Vajira Hospital in the Dusit district. The road suddenly collapsed, forming a giant sinkhole measuring 30 meters in length and width and 50 meters deep.
According to Thai media reports, two utility poles and a tow truck belonging to the nearby police station fell into the hole at the time of the incident. Rescue personnel arrived at the scene upon receiving the alert and confirmed that no one was injured.
As the collapse zone was close to hospital buildings and near an under-construction Vajira metro station, authorities urgently evacuated hospital patients and nearby residents, and cordoned off Samsen Road and surrounding sections for safety. The related metro construction work was also ordered to halt temporarily.
Preliminary investigations indicate the incident is related to construction on the southern extension of the metro’s Purple Line, believed to be caused by a structural collapse and a ruptured water pipe. Though there were no injuries, the event posed risks to surrounding buildings and traffic safety, and caused power and water outages in some areas.
Thailand’s Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Anutin, rushed to the scene immediately after the incident to oversee the response. He stated that the metro station under construction uses concrete structures capable of withstanding landslides, but the piles under the nearby police station were damaged, posing a collapse risk.
He added that while the main buildings of Vajira Hospital were unaffected, for safety reasons, the hospital has announced the suspension of outpatient services for one to two days. Emergency and inpatient services will continue as usual, with multiple Bangkok public hospitals coordinating to provide care.
He said: “We are still unsure what exactly caused the road collapse. Clearly, there was a mistake, and since this concerns construction, the cause must be identified.”
Anutin also said that road repair work is expected to take at least one year. This incident will be treated as an urgent topic for discussion when the new Cabinet is sworn in and holds its first meeting on Wednesday evening.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart also visited the sinkhole site that day to assess the situation. He stated that the cause was the collapse of the metro tunnel structure, which led to soil above rapidly sliding downward and pouring into the underground station. Multiple utility lines were ruptured, causing water to flood the sinkhole and further exacerbating the slippage. Multiple agencies have implemented emergency measures, including shutting off water supply pipelines, cutting off local electricity, and sealing off hazardous areas; the metro authority has also sealed the tunnel entrance to prevent further soil movement and is conducting a comprehensive structural safety assessment.
He said: “We are monitoring the extent of the damage and accelerating the refilling of the sinkhole. Although minor geological movement may still occur, the overall situation has preliminarily stabilized.”
However, he noted that rainfall in the coming days could worsen the situation, so relevant departments have prepared to pump water out of the pit to stabilize the soil structure.
The accident took place on Wednesday (September 24) at around 7:13 am (Singapore time 8:13 am), on Samsen Road in front of Vajira Hospital in the Dusit district. The road suddenly collapsed, forming a giant sinkhole measuring 30 meters in length and width and 50 meters deep.
According to Thai media reports, two utility poles and a tow truck belonging to the nearby police station fell into the hole at the time of the incident. Rescue personnel arrived at the scene upon receiving the alert and confirmed that no one was injured.
As the collapse zone was close to hospital buildings and near an under-construction Vajira metro station, authorities urgently evacuated hospital patients and nearby residents, and cordoned off Samsen Road and surrounding sections for safety. The related metro construction work was also ordered to halt temporarily.
Preliminary investigations indicate the incident is related to construction on the southern extension of the metro’s Purple Line, believed to be caused by a structural collapse and a ruptured water pipe. Though there were no injuries, the event posed risks to surrounding buildings and traffic safety, and caused power and water outages in some areas.
Thailand’s Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Anutin, rushed to the scene immediately after the incident to oversee the response. He stated that the metro station under construction uses concrete structures capable of withstanding landslides, but the piles under the nearby police station were damaged, posing a collapse risk.
He added that while the main buildings of Vajira Hospital were unaffected, for safety reasons, the hospital has announced the suspension of outpatient services for one to two days. Emergency and inpatient services will continue as usual, with multiple Bangkok public hospitals coordinating to provide care.
He said: “We are still unsure what exactly caused the road collapse. Clearly, there was a mistake, and since this concerns construction, the cause must be identified.”
Anutin also said that road repair work is expected to take at least one year. This incident will be treated as an urgent topic for discussion when the new Cabinet is sworn in and holds its first meeting on Wednesday evening.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart also visited the sinkhole site that day to assess the situation. He stated that the cause was the collapse of the metro tunnel structure, which led to soil above rapidly sliding downward and pouring into the underground station. Multiple utility lines were ruptured, causing water to flood the sinkhole and further exacerbating the slippage. Multiple agencies have implemented emergency measures, including shutting off water supply pipelines, cutting off local electricity, and sealing off hazardous areas; the metro authority has also sealed the tunnel entrance to prevent further soil movement and is conducting a comprehensive structural safety assessment.
He said: “We are monitoring the extent of the damage and accelerating the refilling of the sinkhole. Although minor geological movement may still occur, the overall situation has preliminarily stabilized.”
However, he noted that rainfall in the coming days could worsen the situation, so relevant departments have prepared to pump water out of the pit to stabilize the soil structure.