Underground water pipe leak causes footpath collapse in Bangkok

An underground water pipe leak yesterday caused a footpath to collapse beneath the Fai Chai MRT Station in the Bangkok Noi district of Bangkok. No injuries were reported in the incident.

The official Facebook page of the Bangkok Noi District Office shared a picture of the collapsed footpath with a few words at about 4pm yesterday, August 25.

“Landslide beneath the footpath under Fai Chai MRT Station! All officials are ready to fix it. Department of Public Works, District Office, Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA), and Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRT).”

The post garnered attention from Thai netizens, especially locals living in the area. Some expressed humorous opinions on the matter, while others criticised relevant government officials for their ineffective construction planning.

“This is a lesson learned. Each government department did not coordinate with each other and did not plan for future projects.”

“What is happening to Thailand? Floods, landslides, a wall collapse in the Parliament building, and now footpath collapse.”

“The street is very dark, and now we have to worry about the footpath collapsing.”

“Which department is responsible for this?”

“The project is going according to plan. This is a plan to secure more budget.”

The Director of the Bangkok Noi District Office, Worrachon Thavornpong, stated in an interview with ThaiPBS that the cause of the collapse was a leaking underground water pipe. The leak resulted in soil erosion, which later caused the collapse. The area used to be a canal, so landslides and collapses are possible.

Worrachon added that the MWA is going to address the water leak and the district office has cordoned off the area with warning tape for pedestrian safety.

In a similar incident in Malaysia, a 48 year old Indian man fell and disappeared into a hole while walking on a footpath near Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur when it suddenly collapsed on the morning of Friday, August 23.

Local officials have been searching since the incident occurred but have still not found him. The search resumed on Sunday, August 25, but the attempt was again unsuccessful. The cause of the collapse has not yet been identified.