Massive sinkhole tears open Bangkok street (VIDEO)

A section of road collapsed in the Thai capital of Bangkok on Wednesday, creating a massive sinkhole that disrupted utilities and forced evacuations, Thai officials have said.

The 50-meter-deep cavity spread across about 900 square meters in front of Vajira Hospital and near a police station, halting traffic in the area.

Videos on social media showed the road gradually caving in, dragging down power poles as water gushed from a drainage pipe.

Officials said the hospital building was unaffected, though outpatient services would close for two days. The nearby police station and other buildings were evacuated as a precaution.

The authorities suspect the collapse was triggered by ongoing work on an underground train line.

“Dirt from an underground train construction was sliding in,” Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told Reuters, adding that no deaths or injuries were reported. Three vehicles were damaged. 

The incident is the latest in a string of infrastructure failures in Thailand. In March, a concrete beam from an elevated expressway project collapsed onto a road, killing at least five people.

The incident is the latest in a string of infrastructure failures in Thailand. In March, a concrete beam from an elevated expressway project collapsed onto a road, killing at least five people.

In October 2024, a three-meter-deep hole appeared at a busy Bangkok intersection, likely caused by a broken water pipe. Earlier that year, a motorcyclist and a child plunged into a sinkhole in Nonthaburi, while in November 2023, a road in Bangkok gave way under a heavy truck, injuring two motorcyclists.

Several smaller collapses in recent years have also been linked to drainage problems and underground utility failures.