A massive sinkhole spanning 98 square feet has appeared on a road in Bangkok, Thailand, causing traffic chaos and prompting evacuations.
Part of Samsen Road in the Thai capital — currently experiencing monsoon season — collapsed in front of a school around 7:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Sept. 24, according to the Royal Thai Police (RTP). The sinkhole is also dangerously close to a hospital and a police station.
“Vajira Hospital, Samsen Road, Dusit District, Bangkok, is a hole 30 x 30 meters wide [98 feet x 98 feet], 50 meters deep [160 feet], and has a tendency to collapse further. Later, at the scene, two electric poles fell and there was a station car,” the RTP said in a statement.
The collapse reportedly damaged the nearby Samsen Metropolitan Police Station, causing two electric poles and their tow truck to fall into the hole, according to local newspaper The Nation. Two other vehicles also plunged into the sinkhole, reports The Sydney Morning Herald and the Associated Press.
Footage circulating online captured the dramatic moment, which forced the evacuation of a hospital and nearby residents, The Nation reported.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt attributed the sinkhole to ongoing construction work on a subway station, according to the reports.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(745x453:747x455):format(webp)/sinkhole-bangkok-092425-84658f738721429ea75e5dc63b653d06.jpg)
Despite the hole continuing to expand amid heavy rain, The Nation notes that, fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far.
The police shared images of the enormous sinkhole, which formed directly beneath the police station. Video footage shared on social media by BNO News Live also captured the moment cars reversed into the street as the ground gave way, revealing the city’s underground infrastructure.
“The National Police Commissioner has ordered the Metropolitan Police Bureau to coordinate with relevant agencies, such as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, to take action on road subsidence, damaged large water pipes, and to provide assistance to the public,” the RTP added.
