A giant sinkhole spanning 30 metres wide and 20 metres deep opened in the middle of Bangkok’s Samsen Road on the 24th of September last week. The sinkhole was the result of a massive road collapse, which swallowed not only cars but also power lines. While it may have damaged at least 3 vehicles and caused a burst pipe, Bangkok authorities reported no casualties.
CAUSE OF COLLAPSE
Bangkok officials initially believed that the road collapse was caused by ongoing underground construction, however, director of the city’s disaster prevention department revealed that heavy rains and “a leaky pipe” may have led to the incident.
“There was a leak in the water pipe — water from the pipe eroded (earth) under the road so this incident happened,” said the director, Suriyachai Rawiwan. “The water that eroded brought some soil that dropped down to an under-construction subway station, causing the collapse.”
The undergoing construction of a subway station is headed by Thailand’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority. The organisation stated that it will also investigate the construction site and cause of collapse.
The collapse occurred next to a hospital, which briefly halted outpatient services for two days. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt reported that though the incident was nearby, the hospital was unharmed thanks to its strong underground foundations. However, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnivirakul revealed that a police station in the area is at risk of collapsing due to the damage to its foundation piles. The police station building and nearby apartments were evacuated accordingly. Vehicles in the affected area are to remain untouched until restoration is complete.
RECOVERY AND REPAIR
Governor Chadchart Sittipunt provided updates regarding the sinkhole’s repair 3 days after the incident. In his report, he revealed that the sinkhole was filled with 110 cubic metres of concrete on the night of the incident. An additional 120 cubic metres were poured over other sections on the 27th of September. Along with the concrete filling of tunnel openings, overall concrete use amounted to around 1,105 cubic metres.
Since the incident, the area on Samsen Road has been cordoned off. Concrete repairs were briefly paused due to light rain towards the end of September. Fortunately, Governor Chadchart revealed that repair and restoration operations are “on track” for the road to reopen on the 8th of October.
“(The) next steps, as discussed with engineers, include reinforcing the area beneath the metro station using sprayed concrete to stabilize the soil, followed by sand and cement fill, then crushed stone to strengthen the surface before restoring the road. The plan remains to reopen traffic on Oct 8,” he explained.
Water and drainage pipes will be fully restored before the road is reopened for use. The Samsen Police Station will also receive repairs in the form of reinforcement of its foundations and piles.
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