BANGKOK, Thailand – Authorities entered the second day of stabilization work at the massive sinkhole near Vachira Hospital, where a combination of poor soil and a damaged water pipe caused material to collapse into a nearby subway construction tunnel.
The operation aims to seal the rupture, prevent further erosion, and safely backfill the hole.
On Friday morning, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt reported that approximately 700 cubic meters of concrete were poured overnight. The operation was subsequently paused to allow the mixture to set and prevent further material loss into the tunnel. The Governor estimated that an additional 1,000 cubic meters of concrete will be required to fill the hole to the planned level.
Final steps will involve constructing concrete walls, backfilling with crushed stone and sand, repairing utilities, and paving the road to meet the 14-day traffic restoration deadline.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the site late Thursday night (Sept 25) to oversee the emergency efforts. The Prime Minister stated that the situation appeared stabilized following the initial extensive pour and stressed that the top priority was the safety of the public, asserting that “risk must be zero percent.”
Despite the ongoing major construction effort, Vachira Hospital successfully reopened its Outpatient Department (OPD) services as normal today after conducting thorough structural and utility inspections to assure safety.
Meanwhile, the crisis has prompted official review of the newly built Samsen Police Station, which suffered damage including broken foundation piles due to the collapse, with the National Police Chief awaiting an engineering assessment to decide on demolition or repair.
The MRTA has taken full responsibility for the incident and pledged to compensate all those affected by the damage. (TNA)
