The 50 metre-deep crater prompted evacuations and road closures around the Vajira Hospital in the Thai capital
A 50 metre-deep sinkhole opened in front of a Bangkok hospital early on Wednesday, sucking in cars and electricity poles in a collapse that shocked city residents and was linked to the construction of a nearby underground railway station.
Local authorities closed roads around the Vajira Hospital on Samsen Road in the Thai capital’s historic old town at around 7am as the crater emerged, ripping apart pipes that spewed out torrents of water while toppled electricity cables sent out dangerous sparks.
Patients and residents in nearby flats were evacuated as the hole – measuring roughly 30 by 30 metres wide and 50 metres deep – appeared in front of the public hospital.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who rushed to the scene to assess the situation, said the road subsidence occurred above the joint between the tunnel for the dual-track train line and a planned new station.
