Bangkok (TDI): On Wednesday morning, a massive sinkhole opened up along Samsen Road in Bangkok’s central Dusit district, in front of Vajira Hospital, causing significant infrastructure damage, large‑scale evacuations, and a major disruption to traffic flow.
The crater, measuring about 50 meters deep and roughly 30 by 30 meters wide, created chaos as road cracked, water gushed from ruptured pipes, and electricity poles fell into the hole. A police tow‑truck and several utility poles fell in the hole.
Vajira Hospital suspended its outpatient services, though its core structure, including the underground portions, have remained intact, reporting no damage.
Nearby, the Samsen Metropolitan Police Station was reported to be at risk after parts of its foundations showed signs of damage. Residents, hospital patients, and local businesses were evacuated as a precaution.
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City officials are blaming this sudden appearance of a sinkhole on a combination of factors including heavy seasonal rains, a burst water pipe, and soil erosion caused by an adjacent under construction underground station.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and disaster prevention authorities are also investigating how construction of the Purple Line extension may have played a part.
With forecast suggesting that rains will continue, there is concern that the sinkhole may worsen and widen, causing more of the road and surrounding structures to fall in.
The Samsen Road area has been officially declared a disaster zone to facilitate emergency operations. No casualties or serious injuries have been reported so far. But evacuations are taking place to avoid any unwanted incident.
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