PRIME Minister Anutin Charnvirakul inspected the huge sinkhole on Samsen road in front of Vajira Hospital and Samsen police station for the second time at 11 p.m. last night and said he is worried about heavy rain causing further subsidence, Amarin TV said this morning (Sep. 25).
Anutin, who mentioned that when he came to the disaster site early yesterday morning he had not assumed office but now has, said this is not a time to blame anyone but work on rebuilding the road surface as quickly as possible.
Asked about difficulties being faced, Anutin pointed to the volume of soil lost and the repair of the under-construction underground station’s tunnel which too could collapse plus structural issues surrounding electrical cables and the safety of surrounding buildings, with those in charge being aware of these issues.
It is most urgent to stop water flowing into the sinkhole and seal any leaks as there is a risk of more soil slides with increased rainfall, he said, while emphasising that efforts must be made to fill and compact this area as soon as possible.
Asked about protecting high-rise buildings in the surrounding area, Anutin said the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning is already inspecting them. Usually tall buildings like Vajira Hospital have an underground parking lot and first floor retaining wall but low-rise structures across the road have been affected with the residents evacuated. Some of the piles of these buildings have snapped and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) is likely planning to repair them.
Regarding having to lift four 30-tonne concrete blocks, the Prime Minister said this is not a problem as they can be cut into sections and gradually lifted with the cranes able to reach them thus not requiring the use of those with long arms. These blocks are obstructing the tunnel and the sinkhole cannot be fully filled until they are removed.
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Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul inspecting the sinkhole last night. Photos – Amarin TV
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