The Dusit District Office issued an edict this afternoon, prohibiting the use of buildings near the Samsen Road sinkhole for safety reasons.
The affected building numbers are 582, 584, 586, 590, 592, 538/1, 544-544/85 (101-112, 201-216, 301-316, 401-416, 501-516) on Samsen Road and 148, 150, 152, 156, 158, v162, v168, 170, 172,174 and 158/6 on Sukhothai Road.
Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Thanet Veerasiri, an advisor to the Engineering Institute of Thailand, said the priority, to prevent further land subsidence in front of the Vajira Hospital, is to salvage the embedded car and stop the broken water main from leaking into the sinkhole.
After having assessed the situation, he said that water is still leaking into the deep hole, which may cause further soil movement, adding that rain is another risk factor.
He said that, if the water leakage can be stopped today, the plan is to bring equipment in, such as pilings and concrete slabs, to stabilise the soil around the sinkhole.
For areas adjacent to the hole, such as the Samsen police station and shop house buildings, Thanet said that the ground level has subsided by about two millimetres, which may continue, as he advised people living in the close vicinity to evacuate to two temporary shelters provided by authorities concerned.
Regarding the wall of the Vajira hospital, he said that it is strong enough and does not need reinforcement.
The Dusit district office is also distributing water to residents of the Suan Oy community, while the main supply is unavailable until the main is repaired.
