A traffic police lieutenant, based at Samsen Police Station, continued to perform his duty directing traffic in front of Vajira Hospital yesterday, even after his own car had been swallowed by the massive sinkhole, into which the road had collapsed.
The vehicle, belonging to Pol Lt Ratchawit Sitthichok, deputy chief of traffic, was one of two that plunged into the 15-metre-deep sinkhole at around 6.30am yesterday. The other was a police tow truck.
When the sinkhole appeared, it also swallowed two utility poles, followed by two more, cutting the electricity supply to the area.
Ratchawit’s car can still be seen stuck in the muddy soil at the mouth of the void. Recovery teams attempted to retrieve it, but they had to stop due to further subsidence in and around the hole.
Pol Lt Ratchawit said that he had parked his car in front of the station early in the morning, as he came on shift, and remains concerned over some personal belongings still inside the vehicle.
“Rescue workers were attempting to retrieve my car. Nonetheless, I still had to carry out my duty of ensuring public safety in the area,” he said.
According to witnesses, first the road surface in front of the hospital started to subside. This was shortly followed by water seepage, seemingly from a burst pipe. A large puddle formed before the road fully collapsed into the sinkhole below.
The Samsen Police Station is still under construction and is scheduled to begin full operations next year.
Experts, who have inspected the site, expressed concerns, however, about the structural safety of the new police station. Some questioned whether the building could still be used, or if demolition might be necessary due to extensive damage to its foundations caused by the subsidence.
