The giant sinkhole in Samsen Road in Bangkok, in front of Vajira General Hospital, has been filled with 1,700 cubic m of crushed stone. - Photo: Reuters
BANGKOK: The giant sinkhole in Samsen Road in Bangkok, in front of Vajira General Hospital, has been filled, but traffic cannot resume as workers still need to demolish the Samsen Police Station building, said Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Monday (Oct 20).
Chadchart explained that the sinkhole had been filled with 1,700 cubic m of crushed stone, raising the surface back to road level.
The collapse occurred on the morning of Sept 24, reportedly caused by a leak in a main water pipe, which washed away soil beneath the road and led to the collapse of the ceiling of a subway tunnel under construction.
Demolition of police station next step
Chadchart said inspections confirmed that the refilled soil and gravel remain stable, allowing pedestrians to walk across safely.
The governor added that workers would next begin demolishing the Samsen Police Station building before resurfacing the road and reopening it to traffic.
Workers will first lay steel plates over the refilled section to allow bulldozers to move in and dismantle the building.
The demolition is expected to take around four days, but will be carried out with great caution as the building was constructed using a post-tension concrete technique, which means reinforced steel bars could snap and cause injuries if handled improperly.
Surrounding buildings declared safe
Chadchart said inspections of nearby buildings found no signs of movement nor structural instability, and surrounding shophouses had not developed additional cracks.
Tunnels and utilities repairs to follow
The next phase will involve the contractor repairing the damaged tunnel beneath the road so subway construction can resume. The main water pipe and drainage systems on both sides of the road will also be repaired.
The governor admitted that the repairs were progressing more slowly than planned, as the work must be done carefully to ensure safety and stability.
He added that traffic reopening remains indefinitely delayed until all repair work is completed. The relevant authorities are still investigating the root cause of the subsidence to prevent similar incidents in the future. - The Nation/ANN
