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

[Georgealbert]

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Threatens Legal Action Against Construction Company Following Landslide at High-Speed Rail Tunnel

 

Picture of ongoing rescue.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has vowed to take legal action against the construction company responsible for a landslide at the high-speed rail tunnel in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, after reports emerged that the company obstructed state officials from carrying out rescue operations.

During his visit to Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University on August 27, Anutin commented on the ongoing situation in Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima. More than 48 hours have passed since the landslide, which trapped several workers inside the tunnel. Anutin revealed that the contractor had reportedly hindered government officials by withholding vital information, delaying the rescue efforts.

 

"The most important priority is to save the lives of those trapped inside the tunnel," Anutin emphasized. "The company has no right to interfere, as the landslide is classified as a natural disaster. The government has full authority to intervene. I am traveling to Nakhon Ratchasima today to initiate legal proceedings against the company if the reports are accurate."

 

Anutin expressed his frustration, declaring that the company’s arrogance in obstructing state operations is unacceptable. "Their actions are entirely inappropriate. State officials must not tolerate this and must take immediate legal action," he stated firmly.

 

This ongoing incident has raised serious concerns about safety and corporate responsibility in the construction of major infrastructure projects across Thailand. 

-- 2024-08-27

 

 

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[Watawattana]

38 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

This ongoing incident has raised serious concerns about safety and corporate responsibility in the construction of major infrastructure projects across Thailand. 

For the sake of all people & families affected by this and every previous incident where people have been injured or died, I truly hope things change in the future so that fewer people and families suffer.  Remember I said 'hope'.

[Luuk Chaai]

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

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.

forget where this is ?  or you have not been here very long .....     T.I.T.

[Georgealbert]

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has shared positive news—vital signs have been detected for all three workers trapped in the tunnel. The first worker is expected to be reached or rescued today, August 27, by approximately 16:00.

 

Mr. Ekarat Sriarayanpong, Head of the Governor's Office at the State Railway of Thailand, provided an update on the rescue efforts for the trapped workers. He confirmed that life signs have now been detected from all three individuals. This progress follows continuous rescue operations by the SRT's rescue team, acting under the directives of Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Surapong Piyachote. 
 

Additionally, a specialised rescue team from Hunan Sunshine, China, known for their expertise in disaster recovery, has been brought in to assist. Thanks to their combined efforts, there is optimism that the first worker will be successfully reached or rescued by approximately 16.00 today. The missing workers are believed to be trapped in the vehicles under the collapsed earth.

 

(My own personal opinion is that this is a strange statement, has so much potential to not happen, or I hope iit just implies that the new rescue team will be able to deploy by 16.00)

 

SRT official statement below.

 

 

[snoop1130]

Robot deployed in search for 3 people trapped in Korat tunnel since Sunday

 

 

A remotely-controlled robot will be used to help in the search for and rescue of a Burmese and two Chinese workers trapped inside a collapsed train tunnel in Pak Chong district of Thailand’s north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima since Sunday.

 

The robot is being used because rubble continues to fall from the failing ceiling of the tunnel, which jeopardises the safety of the urban search and rescue team (USAR) of the Department of Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

 

A USAR official said that, at about midnight last night, the search team detected signs of life again, near the site where they were earlier found by a life signs detector. A steel pipe, with a diameter of 1.2m, was inserted through the rubble into the tunnel, until it reached what appeared to be a truck, which was also trapped inside.

 

Photo: Thai PBS World

 

Full story: Thai PBS World 2024-08-27

 

 

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[Bundooman]

On 8/26/2024 at 6:24 AM, kwaussie said:

China has a space station and builds lots of warfare, dont forget the submarine! 

This news article was responsible for my 1st immediate thought .........that submarine!

Easy to submerge, not so easy to surface.

Nothing on God's earth would persuade me to enter one - let alone a collapsible tunnel!

[chickenslegs]

I hope George is going to return with good news. This is turning into a bit of a cliffhanger.

[Georgealbert]

UPDATE
 

Rescue Efforts Near Success in Collapsed Railway Tunnel

 

 

Picture of the new temporary rescue tunnel being constructed.

 

Rescue teams are within one metre of reaching the first of three workers trapped in the collapsed high-speed railway tunnel in Thailand. All three victims have shown signs of movement.

 

The incident occurred during the construction of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima, specifically in the 1.5-kilometre long third tunnel located between Chakkarat Station and Khlong Khanan Chit in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The collapse, which trapped two Chinese workers and one Myanmar worker approximately 600 metres from the tunnel entrance, happened in the early hours of 25 August.

 

On the morning of 28 August, Mr. Krikkesak Sann Vasasiri, Director of the Special Operations for Search and Rescue at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, provided an update on the rescue efforts. The team is constructing a temporary tunnel within the collapsed one, using steel beams and wooden structures to support the excavation.

Rescue teams are employing a diagonal digging method, using machinery to carefully excavate the debris until they reach the first worker, whose position was detected 1.2 metres  away by motion-detection equipment. The second worker is believed to be 8 metres further in, and the third another 14 metres beyond.

 

Challenges have arisen due to sliding soil on the left side of the tunnel walls, which the team is countering by placing sandbags to stabilize the area.

 

The first worker is expected to be reached and rescued today. Initial indications from motion sensors suggest that the worker is still breathing, as slight movements have been detected in the chest area. The rescue teams continue to work tirelessly to reach all three trapped individuals. 
 

 

-- 2024-08-28

 

 

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[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, Georgealbert said:

Rescue teams are within one metre of reaching the first of three workers trapped in the collapsed high-speed railway tunnel in Thailand. All three victims have shown signs of movement.

That amazing, and also very good news!

[MikeandDow]

What a Micky Mouse operation 

[Ben Zioner]

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.

Nearly half a million died while building the Great Wall. They just perpetuate tradition.

[Iron Tongue]

6 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Nearly half a million died while building the Great Wall. They just perpetuate tradition.

Rubbish.

The "Great Wall" is composed of a series of walls built over a span of almost 2,400 years.  They were built by different Dynasties and not all linked together.

There are no records of how many died during their construction, and as they were mostly built using convicted criminals, prisoners of war .and slaves, nobody knows how many died.

[Georgealbert]

Rescue Efforts Hampered by Repeated Cave-Ins

 

 

Picture courtesy of ThaiRath, showing the new collapsed hole from the external of the tunnel.

 

Rescue teams continue their struggle to save three individuals trapped in the collapsed Klong Phai railway tunnel in Nakhon Ratchasima. Despite extensive efforts, no one has yet been rescued. The situation worsened when a secondary collapse of the tunnel’s ceiling was reported, further complicating the rescue operations.

 

Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue efforts. He convened an emergency meeting with key officials, including Deputy Governor Suraphan Silpasuwan, Pak Chong District Chief Kanatchanom Sricharoen, Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office Chief Krit Phunkasem, engineers from Naowarat Phatthanakan Public Company Limited, Chinese construction company Ju Zhong, engineers from the State Railway of Thailand, and rescue teams from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. The K-9 unit and medical teams were also present to assess the worsening situation.

 

The briefing revealed that the tunnel ceiling had collapsed, creating a hole approximately 2 to 3 meters wide, allowing light to enter the tunnel. The incident posed a significant risk to rescue workers, prompting the USAR team to withdraw temporarily. A drone was deployed to assess the extent of the collapse and to gather data for further analysis.

 

Yesterday, a rescue tunnel measuring 3 metres by 3 metres was constructed, with an additional tunnel measuring 2.5 metres deep. The rescue team anticipated reaching the location where vital signs were detected earlier today, but progress was halted due to unstable conditions. The search has now entered its fourth day, with the likelihood of survival decreasing as time passes.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul is expected to arrive by helicopter to personally oversee the rescue operations around midday. Later in the afternoon, Minister of Transport Suriya Jungrungreangkit will visit the site to assess the situation. The rescue teams remain on high alert, though the chances of a successful rescue are becoming increasingly slim.

 

-- 2024-08-28

 

 

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[MikeandDow]

Anutin Charnvirakul is expected to arrive by helicopter to personally oversee the rescue operations around midday.

You have to be joking What does this guy know about mining  Need to get Experts in on hard rock mining and roof support equipment NOT home made pieces of welded steel Typical Thai

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, MikeandDow said:

What a Micky Mouse operation 

What a pathetic comment from a pathetic person.

What qualifies you to judge? What is your involvement? I assume none, so please keep your pathetic comments to yourself.

[Ben Zioner]

28 minutes ago, Iron Tongue said:

Rubbish.

The "Great Wall" is composed of a series of walls built over a span of almost 2,400 years.  They were built by different Dynasties and not all linked together.

There are no records of how many died during their construction, and as they were mostly built using convicted criminals, prisoners of war .and slaves, nobody knows how many died.

" The human cost of the construction is unknown, but it has been estimated by some authors that hundreds of thousands[26] of workers died building the Qin wall."

 

Premature rubbish eructation. Or have you your own school of thought?..

 

Bye

 

[MikeandDow]

6 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

What a pathetic comment from a pathetic person.

What qualifies you to judge? What is your involvement? I assume none, so please keep your pathetic comments to yourself.

Been in hard rock mining for the last 20yrs so i know a little and worked on similar projects   the only Pathetic person is you

Hope the guys get out but the way the Thais are tacking this i doubt it flip flop

 sames as the boys trapped in the caves Bring in the experts

 

[Georgealbert]

The USAR (Urban Search And Rescue) team are quoted to be using life detector radar equipment to locate the missing workers.

 

This is portable radio detection system designed to locate survivors buried under rubble or debris by either movement or breathing and is normally based on GPR (ground penetrating radar) technology, which allows it to accurately pinpoint the location of a survivor and determine the distance to him or her.

The device is very simple to operate and sends a  GPR signals into the collapsed earth, quickly fixing on any movement or breathing. An accompanying Tablet PC displays the distance to the survivor using one coloured line for movement and a another coloured line for breathing.

Example of expected display below.

Detection by motion

Detection by breathing

 

The location of the missing workers are noted on this diagram, used at this morning’s media briefing.

[digbeth]

29 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

Anutin Charnvirakul is expected to arrive by helicopter to personally oversee the rescue operations around midday.

You have to be joking What does this guy know about mining  Need to get Experts in on hard rock mining and roof support equipment NOT home made pieces of welded steel Typical Thai

 

His fortune is from Sino-Thai contruction company - track records include Swampy airport that sinks and cracks, Brand New Parliament that leaks and floods, he'll probably have some experience with construction disasters 

[MikeandDow]

15 minutes ago, digbeth said:

 

His fortune is from Sino-Thai contruction company - track records include Swampy airport that sinks and cracks, Brand New Parliament that leaks and floods, he'll probably have some experience with construction disasters 

do you think he got his hands dirty !!! and Sino-Thai is a very bad contractor well known for bad quality workmanship

and i say again What does he know about hard rock mining ?? Feel sorry for the guys trapped 4 days Nothing Flip Flop thailand

[Trip Hop]

40 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

Been in hard rock mining for the last 20yrs so i know a little and worked on similar projects   the only Pathetic person is you

Hope the guys get out but the way the Thais are tacking this i doubt it flip flop

 sames as the boys trapped in the caves Bring in the experts

 

 

I have to agree.  Just from the photos and the state of the kit, it looks like something out of the 70s in the Western world.  Hope that they are all ok? 

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

What a Micky Mouse operation 

Compare to the high speed railways Chinese drilled for Indonesia and Laos, and Hangzhou City, China.

What's Thailand's problem?

 

 

[spidermike007]

I sure hope they find these guys and I hope they are alive and well. Digging tunnels is not for the faint of heart, my brother-in-law is working in South Korea right now digging tunnels for a major highway. One of the top guys on the totem pole, a local engineer, was recently killed in a tunnel collapse. 

[Georgealbert]

UPDATE
 

First Worker Rescued from Collapsed High-Speed Rail Tunnel: Myanmar National Found Trapped in Vehicle.

 

 

Picture from the scene

 

The first worker trapped in the collapsed high-speed rail tunnel has been rescued. The worker, a Myanmar national, was discovered inside a vehicle within the tunnel. Rescue personnel knocked on the vehicle door and received a signal in response, confirming the worker's location and condition.

 

At 14:55 on August 28,Medical teams were immediately dispatched to provide support, including food and medicine, before assessing the situation to determine the safest method for transporting the worker to the hospital, either by helicopter or vehicle.

 

-- 2024-08-28

 

 

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[nahkit]

Great news for the worker, hope Anutin got there in time for the photo-op.

[chickenslegs]

Great news.

[Georgealbert]

14 minutes ago, nahkit said:

Great news for the worker, hope Anutin got there in time for the photo-op.

Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, arrived at the scene and had been briefed before the first casualty was found.

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

[Georgealbert]

The Myanmar driver remains trapped in the dump truck.

 

 

Rescue teams are in contact with the worker and are working to extract him safely by manually removing debris around the vehicle. Medical teams are on standby inside the tunnel to evaluate whether the driver should be evacuated by helicopter, said caretaker Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking to the media.

 

egarding the two remaining trapped Chinese nationals, Anutin stated that one is believed to be inside a vehicle approximately 3-4 metres away from the Myanmar driver, while the other is about 14 metres away and not inside any vehicle. They are believed to still be alive, as movements were detected by a life detection radar device.

 

-- 2024-08-28

 

 

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[Gottfrid]

4 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

What a Micky Mouse operation 

What do you mean with that? Are you an expert on this kind of rescue missions, or are you just Goofing around? 🤣

[MikeandDow]

25 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

What do you mean with that? Are you an expert on this kind of rescue missions, or are you just Goofing around? 🤣

hard rock miner

Safety in Chinese mining is zero, the guys at the face are not wearing self rescuers (SCSR) which in western countries is against the law  the guys will be gasping for breath no air getting to the face 

if you look at some of the photos you see guys with shorts on, and no safety

boots

worked on one project with sino-Thai never again the quality was shocking no pride in workmanship