Bangkok sinkhole: Measures in place to prevent rain from worsening situation, says governor
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The sinkhole, measuring more than 30m by 30m, appeared in Samsen Road on the morning of Sept 23 in Bangkok.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BANGKOK – Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt says rain control and drainage measures are in place at the Vajira Hospital sinkhole, with repairs and traffic plans under way
He said on Sept 28 that measures had been fully prepared to prevent rainwater from worsening the situation at the massive sinkhole in Samsen Road in front of Vajira Hospital.
Mr Chadchart was speaking to reporters at noon while inspecting the progress of the repairs at the site.
The sinkhole, measuring more than 30m by 30m, appeared on the morning of Sept 23 after soil was washed away by leaked water from a main tap water pipe into an underground subway construction tunnel.
Repair efforts
As part of the repair process, workers began pouring concrete on the night of Sept 26 and continued to do so until about 2am, putting in more than 200 cubic m in total. The concrete was poured gradually to control flow and ensure proper setting, creating a strong, stable base across the affected area.
Mr Chadchart said officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had sealed drainage pipes that could allow water to flow into the sinkhole.
He explained that if rainfall exceeded 100mm, water in the sinkhole would reach only about 10cm deep. The situation would not be worrying, he said, because water pumps had already been installed to drain it.
Once the road is fully repaired, BMA officials will remove the blockages from the drainage pipes to restore normal rainwater drainage.
Traffic warning
The governor added that about 400 lorries would need to transport construction materials to the site on Sept 29, which could cause heavy traffic congestion in the area.
“I have to apologise in advance if traffic congestion occurs. More than 400 trucks will have to transport cement, sand and other materials to the site,” Mr Chadchart said.
He urged patients to travel to Vajira Hospital by public transport and avoid driving on Sept 29, when more than 3,000 outpatients are expected. However, he added that the actual number of patients might be fewer than expected. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
