Landslide Buries Workers Inside High-Speed Rail Tunnel Construction in Nakhon Ratchasima

[Selatan]

I am rather surprised that most farangs here did not know that Chinese companies were not involved in the HSR construction in Thailand. The level of hatred for China is unbelievable.

[Graham8888]

On 8/25/2024 at 8:22 AM, Photoguy21 said:

And will last less than 1 year with extensive user. Think about that.

 

6 hours ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

I am sure there is a reason, but WHY are they not using a tunnel boring machine . These days far simpler 

It broke down, then the Chinese truck taking it to get fixed broke down, etc, etc

[Graham8888]

6 hours ago, sandyf said:

China's HSR accounts for two-thirds of the world's total high-speed railway networks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China

Are the Actual figures for deaths during construction included?

[Chongalulu]

6 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

Using your logic, most Thais, Chinese, Japanese, Indians,Burmese, etc are all atheists, well done, you have label almost half the world's population... How did we atheists survive, for so long...

Every day I thank God for creating me as an atheist...

[RichardColeman]

Great, now for the oscar related movie

[Selatan]

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Don't blame the Chinese. The Thais are building this. If the Chinese were, the entire Bangkok to Nong Khai corridor would have been completed years ago. Instead they trudge along with the first stage, many years into the project. 

 

On 11 July 2017, the Thai Cabinet approved the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to execute the Project on Bangkok–Nong Khai HSR Development for Regional Connectivity (Section 1: Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima). The project is an international joint development at the government level between Thailand and China. In this regard, the Thai government is responsible for entire project investment, civil works construction, and application of Chinese construction technologies and railway systems.

You must be the rare farang that knew about the whole story, and/or very interested in a better rail infrastructure in Thailand.

[FritsSikkink]

2 minutes ago, Selatan said:

You must be the rare farang that knew about the whole story, and/or very interested in a better rail infrastructure in Thailand.

Or he googles for information when he wants to give his opinion first, while others just post whatever pops up in their mind first.

[Selatan]

4 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Or he googles for information when he wants to give his opinion first, while others just post whatever pops up in their mind first.

Of course he had googled for the exact quote, but he definitely knew some history about the project in the first place.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

That is no reflection of safety standards which the Chinese ignore.

McCarthy may have died but the legacy lives on.

[spidermike007]

32 minutes ago, Selatan said:

You must be the rare farang that knew about the whole story, and/or very interested in a better rail infrastructure in Thailand.

I've been saying that Thailand desperately needs transport alternatives for a decade and a half now, they have a 70-year-old rail system, and the highways are choked to the point where it makes a quick trip impossible.  They need to work on alternative transportation methods for cargo and a passengers and the situation is desperate.

 

I think they should get the Chinese involved, have the Chinese cough up tens of billions of dollars, and get it done quickly. And then just default on the loan like all the other countries in the Belt and Road initiative are doing. 

 

Thailand could then be a great contributor to humanity by slowing down China, and helping to stop their heinous expansionist plans. 

[sandyf]

47 minutes ago, Graham8888 said:

Are the Actual figures for deaths during construction included?

About a dozen died constructing the channel tunnel(about 30 miles), but you are free to believe that deaths per mile are greatest in China.

[Selatan]

1 minute ago, spidermike007 said:

I've been saying that Thailand desperately needs transport alternatives for a decade and a half now, they have a 70-year-old rail system, and the highways are choked to the point where it makes a quick trip impossible.  They need to work on alternative transportation methods for cargo and a passengers and the situation is desperate.

 

I think they should get the Chinese involved, have the Chinese cough up tens of billions of dollars, and get it done quickly. And then just default on the loan like all the other countries in the Belt and Road initiative are doing. 

 

Thailand could then be a great contributor to humanity by slowing down China, and helping to stop their heinous expansionist plans. 

Well too bad the Thais swallowed the Western narrative that the Chinese loans were "debt traps" and so they decided to finance it on their own. Only problem was that they didn't really have the money, and so the project progresses at a snail's pace.

 

China doesn't mind if the borrowers default on their loans. The loans were given as a way to divert the huge USD holdings away from the US without strengthening the yuan, which would be bad for exports. Which is better? US defaulted or 100 countries defaulted?

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

I'm not getting into a religious discussion... us Athiests know better... bye

Did you not see my laughing emoji.......................Whoosh--------------------

[HOOD Robin]

On 8/25/2024 at 1:48 PM, Photoguy21 said:

I have worked with the Chinese and they are terrible when it comes to safety. It is a word that obviously does not exist in the Chinese language.

 

And what about Thailand ??
Everywhere on construction sites, you see signs with SAFETY FIRST.....
What a JOKE ! Children are running around there barefoot on soil full of sand, glass shards, rusted nails, etc  🙃 

[Elkski]

Bad ground in mining can happen with the best scientific methods used.   Maybe they hit an unsampled pocket of an alluvial deposit.   No way would you think you can  mine a tunnel through the material shown in that collapse.   Hope it's a successful rescue.   To think they can hear vital signs through 18 m of loose rock.  Wow.  

[Georgealbert]

 

UPDATE
 

Latest on Nakhon Ratchasima Tunnel Rescue Operation

 

 

Picture of the rescue pipe.

The Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office has provided an update on the ongoing rescue operation for individuals trapped in a railway tunnel in Pak Chong District.

 

As of this afternoon the rescue teams and contractor personnel, have been actively removing debris from the tunnel using four dump trucks. Since the operation began yesterday, approximately 13 metres of the collapsed earth has been cleared. The teams are currently in the process of advancing a 1.20-metre  rescue pipe into the area where it is believed that the trapped individuals are located. Non-essential personal, including the media are restricted from accessing the tunnel.

 

Video from the site of the collapse, today.

 

[Georgealbert]

Rescue Efforts Continue Amid Landslide Threats as Authorities Close In on Trapped Workers

 

Rescue teams on the afternoon of August 26, believe there have located the exact position of three individuals trapped following a recent landslide, with just under 5 metres separating them from the missing workers.
 

However, ongoing earth and rock falls, in the tunnel are complicating the rescue mission, making progress extremely difficult, slow and dangerous.

Everyone is hoping for the successful, safe and swift recovery of all three trapped individuals.

[bristolgeoff]

I imagine that is the high speed  train service china wants to build.The new bkk train station ready,the rest will follow slowly even more now

[RONDEE1]

Another imported tofu dregg construction disaster

 

[James9999]

10 hours ago, sandyf said:

About a dozen died constructing the channel tunnel(about 30 miles), but you are free to believe that deaths per mile are greatest in China.

Ten died building the Channel Tunnel. Eight of them were British so what does that tell you?

[James9999]

20 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Don't blame the Chinese. The Thais are building this. If the Chinese were, the entire Bangkok to Nong Khai corridor would have been completed years ago. Instead they trudge along with the first stage, many years into the project. 

 

On 11 July 2017, the Thai Cabinet approved the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to execute the Project on Bangkok–Nong Khai HSR Development for Regional Connectivity (Section 1: Bangkok–Nakhon Ratchasima). The project is an international joint development at the government level between Thailand and China. In this regard, the Thai government is responsible for entire project investment, civil works construction, and application of Chinese construction technologies and railway systems.

I assume that the Thais are not designing it?

[Stargeezr]

If you see the great highways and bridges etc, remember that those things

are in China, and they want their highways and bridges to last. Stuff that is built outside the

country is a total different matter, and I think it is the same for most countries. I would trust japan and other countires

more as they want to have a good reputation. I also think that China is not as concerned about their

reputation. Just my opinion of course.

[geisha]

On 8/25/2024 at 8:48 AM, Photoguy21 said:

I have worked with the Chinese and they are terrible when it comes to safety. It is a word that obviously does not exist in the Chinese language.

They don’t get highs marks for good manners either.

[Luuk Chaai]

On 8/25/2024 at 2:12 PM, Georgealbert said:

Short video from the tunnel, as the rescue is ongoing.

 

I got worried for a moment ,,     thought it might actually be an all out effort to get it done ...

 but,  not dissapointed,   there are several slackers sitting around nose to mobil screen

[Luuk Chaai]

17 hours ago, Sig said:

It was a HUGE mistake going with China instead of Japan on their rail project. .............................................................................................. I wasn't surprised when Thailand went with China. It was obvious for many reasons - one of which is, China is the very place brown envelopes are manufactured to begin with! lol It was a stupendously foolish decision to go with China over Japan.

Birds of a feather........   flock together

[sandyf]

7 hours ago, James9999 said:

Ten died building the Channel Tunnel. Eight of them were British so what does that tell you?

The numbers vary between 8 and 15 depending on what source you look at.

With your 10, it tells me 1 died for every 3 miles, China's HSR is in the order of 28,000 miles.

Their HSR is very complex in places, I remember one part going through the mountains where we must have travelled 60 - 70 miles of continuous tunnels and viaducts.

 

However overall, Chinese high speed rail has an exemplary safety record[135]: 70  and according to The New York Times, the Chinese high-speed rail network is "one of the world’s safest transportation systems."[136] As of at least 2024, the Wenzhou crash remains the only serious accident in the massive Chinese HSR network.[135]: 70 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China#:~:text=However overall%2C Chinese high speed,the massive Chinese HSR network.

[Photoguy21]

5 hours ago, geisha said:

They don’t get highs marks for good manners either.

Tell me about it. I once worked on a contract where the contractor was Chinese. Terrible to get them to anything that was compliant with standards.

[Georgealbert]

5 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

I got worried for a moment ,,     thought it might actually be an all out effort to get it done ...

 but,  not dissapointed,   there are several slackers sitting around nose to mobil screen

No emergency response is not just an all out effort. A emergency response plan is initially made after gathering all the information available, known as ‘size up’.
 

The person in charge of the response, will as part of that size up, will do a dynamic risk assessment, weighting up the benefits to risk, of what responders can initially achieve. Consideration is also then needed to what additional support, people and equipment will be needed. The first priority is always going to be the safety of the responders.

 

The emergency response plan will always be under review, changing and developing as more information is gained and the initial results achieved by responders are assessed. Changes in the emergency response plan always has to be communicated to everyone.

 

As more senior officials take over, all information has to be handed over, to allow a safe continuation of the incident response.

 

This incident is a roof collapse in a tunnel, and a blind all rush in approach would probably have led to further falls or collapses of earth, thus endangering more people, and leading to more persons trapped or injured, thus making the incident worse.

 

I, like you have no idea, who the people in the video are, so to call them ‘slackers’ is as best naive. They could be medical team standing by, mechanics standing by to service any break downs, geo tech engineers waiting to reassess the roof after material has been removed, relief teams, etc. so please try to look at reality before making assumptions.

[retarius]

With bits and pieces falling off trains and lines on stilts in Bangkok and now this, my excitement at the propsect of riding this high speed train has wilted. 

[Georgealbert]

UPDATE
 
Rescue efforts are still ongoing, but 3 workers remain missing.

 

 

Picture of the rescue.

 

Officials, early morning on August 27, stated that they have only detected possible life signs in the debris from one worker, and no signs from the other two missing workers.
 

The rescue operation is continuing with workers battling the deteriorating conditions inside the tunnel, with further roof collapses of earth, unstable earth pile blocking the tunnel and a build up of dust and heat.

 

Additional steel casing tubes with tracking equipment are being drilled into the tunnel to enhance air circulation and to try to locate the remaining workers.

 

Rescuers remain hopeful but are aware that time is running out as they work to clear the soil and inject more air into the tunnel. Their focus is on finding the three missing workers and ensuring that they are given the best chance of survival.

 

-- 2024-08-27

 

 

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