An alarming scene greeted Bangkok residents early Wednesday morning when a significant section of a city road plummeted, giving way to a colossal sinkhole more than 60 feet deep. This sudden collapse sent shockwaves through the capital.
The incident, which happened just before the bustling morning rush hour, saw two parked vehicles vanish into the chasm. Fortunately, no occupants were inside, and authorities swiftly confirmed there were no injuries reported. A spokesperson for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration detailed the sheer scale of the cavity, noting its impressive width of nearly 100 feet.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt addressed reporters, attributing the disaster to a burst water pipe within an unfinished extension of the city’s vital subway system. Following the collapse, city officials promptly cut off the local water supply and initiated urgent inspections of nearby structures. A police station precariously situated near the edge of the sinkhole was immediately evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Remarkably, a hospital located directly across the street from the affected police station was deemed safe from the threat of collapse, thanks to its robust underground structural walls, as confirmed by Governor Chadchart.
The collapsed section of road was built over a tunnel designated for the extension of Bangkok Mass Rapid Transit’s Purple Line. This crucial expansion aims to link the western suburbs with the historic Dusit district – a vibrant, riverfront area celebrated by tourists for its magnificent royal palaces, ancient Buddhist temples, and charming old shop houses. The newly formed sinkhole appeared less than two miles from Dusit Palace, the residence of the Thai royal family.
Upon its eventual completion, the Purple Line is set to traverse beneath Thailand’s Parliament complex and the esteemed National Library.
Attempts to reach the Bangkok Expressway and Metro, the company overseeing the subway extension’s construction, for comment on the collapse were unsuccessful. Similarly, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand did not immediately respond to inquiries.
However, officials from the Mass Rapid Transit Authority were observed meeting with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Governor Chadchart on Wednesday morning to strategize responses to the significant sinkhole, according to the governor’s office.