Pictures from responders.

 

Emergency rescue teams rushed to a construction site near Lan Luang Soi 8 in Bangkok’s Pom Prap Sattru Phai district early afternoon on 19 May, after a worker fell into a deep pit and was reportedly buried under collapsing soil.

 

The incident occurred at approximately 13:15, according to a report from the Phukhao Thong Fire and Rescue Station. Initial alerts stated that a member of the public had fallen into a hole near an ongoing road and subway construction site close to Lan Luang Soi 8 on Lan Luang Road, Khlong Maha Nak sub-district. The pit was estimated to be around 15 to 19 metres deep.

By 13:25, rescue personnel had arrived on the scene and confirmed that the victim was a construction worker employed on the new underground railway project. It is believed the worker fell into the excavation pit as the soil collapsed and was subsequently buried under a sudden falling soil. Rescue teams are continuing operations at the site in an effort to locate and retrieve the missing individual.

 

The Ruamkatanyu Foundation, an emergency response organisation, have deployed high-angle rescue specialists to support the ongoing rescue effort. At the time of this report, the identity of the missing worker had not yet been confirmed, and the exact depth to which the victim had fallen remained unclear due to the volume of soil that had filled the pit.

 

Authorities have cordoned off the area as the rescue operation continues.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-05-19.

 

 

 

 

UPDATE
Construction Worker Plunges Into Borehole as Ground Collapses at Bangkok Subway Site

 

Pictures from responders.

 

A construction worker is feared seriously injured after falling into a deep borehole at a subway construction site in central Bangkok following a sudden ground collapse.

 

The victim, identified as Mr. Sarawut Chantasorn, 33, from Sisaket province, was working on pile-driving operations at the time of the incident. According to Mr. Thanawat, a colleague who witnessed the event, Mr. Sarawut had been standing at the edge of an old borehole, preparing to begin drilling a new shaft.

Without warning, the ground beneath Mr. Sarawut gave way, likely due to soil subsidence around the old excavation site. He lost his balance and plunged into the shaft, estimated to be about 19 metres deep.

 

Emergency teams, including police and rescue workers, are currently attempting to retrieve the trapped worker. The extent of Mr. Sarawut’s injuries is not yet known.

 

The site is part of an ongoing underground rail project aimed at expanding Bangkok’s MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) network.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-19.

 

 

 

 

construction is hard work.

sad to see these workplace accidents.

get him out of there and rescue him, guys.

 

Thai media from the scene.

 

 

UPDATE
Worker Trapped After Ground Collapse at Construction Site in Bangkok

 

Picture from responders.

 

Rescue operations are still underway, but as of 16:00 responders have still been unable to locate the missing worker.

 

The incident occurred while a group of seven to eight workers were on site. According to a co-worker, 41-year-old Mr Chat, the victim was tightening bolts to shut down machinery for the lunch break when the ground suddenly gave way beneath him, causing him to fall into the deep excavation.

 

The collapse was triggered by a soil slide, which has continued to hinder rescue efforts. In response, authorities have deployed a backhoe to reinforce the edges of the construction pit, attempting to prevent further landslides. To secure the area, steel sheet piles measuring 16 metres in length will be installed on all sides of the pit to stabilise the ground and prevent additional soil from sliding in.

 

One worker who in the initial stages, abseiled into the pit using a rope system, was able to descend around 10 metres. He attempted to clear some of the compacted soil to create breathing space for the trapped worker, but the sticky, clay-like nature of the earth made the task extremely difficult and limited the descent.

 

Mr Phet Phumma, Director of Pom Prap Sattru Phai District Office, acting as Incident Commander, said that rescue strategies will be adapted to the evolving situation. He confirmed plans to install steel sheet piles around the entire pit to prevent further collapse. He also acknowledged that the subsoil consists mainly of clay and sand, making the area highly susceptible to subsidence.

The rescue effort involves multiple agencies, including the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Service, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, USAR Thailand, and several volunteer and support networks. All teams are working to locate and rescue the missing worker.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now 2025-05-19.

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE
Rescue Operation Continues Through the Night in Bangkok Piling Shaft Incident

 

Picture from responders.

 

Rescue teams have been working tirelessly through the night following the fall of a 33-year-old construction worker into a piling shaft at the Orange Line mass transit site in Bangkok’s Pom Prap Sattru Phai district.

 

Rescue efforts have encountered significant challenges due to the unstable conditions surrounding the shaft. Ongoing earth collapses near the edge of the hole continue to hinder the operation, posing an additional threat not only to Saravut but also to the rescue teams themselves.
 

Early in the operation, a worker bravely descended about 10 metres into the sinkhole and attempted to manually excavate space from the surrounding mud to allow the trapped worker to breathe.
Additionally, a backhoe was deployed to carefully remove the mud from the edges, in a bid to stabilise the soil and prevent further collapse.

 

Authorities attribute much of the difficulty in the rescue to the soft nature of the soil in the area, a consequence of recent heavy rain. “The efforts to save Saravut have been significantly hampered by the ground conditions, which remain highly susceptible to additional collapse,” one rescue worker noted during an interview.

 

It has emerged that Saravut had only been working at the site for about ten days. Rescue teams are now working against the clock and battling both the elements and the unstable terrain, in an effort to reach and extract the worker safely.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from PBS 2025-05-20.

 

 

 

UPDATE
Search Continues for Worker Trapped in Shaft at Bangkok Orange Line Construction Site

 

Picture form responders.

 

More than 23 hours have passed since a construction worker fell into a 19-metre-deep pile shaft at the site of the future Lan Luang Station, part of Bangkok’s Orange Line rail extension project. Despite intensive rescue operations and the deployment of heavy machinery, authorities have yet to locate the missing worker.

 

The victim, 33-year-old Mr Sarawut Chantasorn, also known as “Dao”, from Si Sa Ket province, was working at the OR06 construction site—Lan Luang Station, when the ground beneath him collapsed on 19 May. The incident occurred near Soi Lan Luang 8 in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district.

 

Officials from the Bangkok Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), including Anuwat Onnuam, Director of Operation Centre 1; Phuchaphong Sanyachote, Director of Operation Centre 3; and Pornpoj Rueannil, Chief of the Phukhao Thong Disaster Prevention Unit, held an emergency operations meeting during the morning of 20 May, to discuss the situation.

 

 

Rescue workers on site have been using heavy-duty cranes and backhoes to dig through the debris and shore in the shaft. Their target is to excavate a total of 15 metres, the estimated location of Mr Sarawut’s body, believed to be buried beneath collapsed concrete and soil debris, likely around the area of the material suction unit used during the construction process.

 

Authorities stated that the operation is being carried out with extreme care to avoid causing further harm to the trapped worker. “Our efforts are focused on using all available tools and techniques as cautiously as possible, to avoid impacting the body of the victim,” said a DDPM representative.

 

Time is now a critical factor. Rescuers are operating within a hopeful 72-hour window, after which the likelihood of a successful recovery is unlikely. The team is adjusting its strategy by repositioning the backhoe to improve the drilling angle, hoping it will lead them more directly to the area of entrapment.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-05-20.

 

 

 

UPDATE
Construction Worker Declared Dead After 19-Metre Fall at Bangkok Rail Site

 

Picture courtesy of Amarin.

 

The incident occurred at a construction site for Bangkok’s Orange Line mass transit project yesterday when a 33-year-old worker fell into a 19-metre-deep shaft and became trapped beneath a landslide of soil and floodwater. Authorities have now confirmed the incident is no longer a rescue.

 

The victim, identified as Mr. Sarawut Chantasorn, known to colleagues as “Dao,” was a construction worker from Sisaket province. He was working on the Lan Luang Station (OR06) site — part of the Orange Line extension between Bang Khun Non and the Thailand Cultural Centre, when the accident occurred at approximately 13:00 on 19 May. The site is located near Soi Lan Luang 8 in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district.

 

Initial reports indicate that the victim fell into a foundation pile shaft. Moments later, the soil around the shaft gave way, compounded by flooding from a burst water pipe, burying the man beneath heavy layers of wet, compacted earth.

 

Emergency crews worked tirelessly through the night and into the following day, using excavators and hand tools to dig through the clay soil. Sheet piles were installed on all four sides of the excavation site to prevent further soil collapse. Authorities estimate they have managed to dig down to around 10 metres.

 

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt was on site along with representatives from the Royal Thai Police, the State Railway of Thailand, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), and other municipal agencies. Mr. Suriyachai Rawiwann, Director of the Bangkok DDPM, confirmed on the afternoon of 20 May, that there was no longer any hope of survival.

 

“Given the conditions, the depth, the soil compaction, and water intrusion, it is highly unlikely that any air pockets remained. All signs point to the victim’s death,” Mr. Suriyachai said.

 

Efforts to recover the body are continuing. Officials have constructed a steel box casing around the shaft to further stabilise the area and are preparing to drill a parallel borehole to redirect soil and aid in the recovery effort. They estimate the body may be located between 15 and 16 metres below the surface and hope to complete the operation before nightfall on 20 May.

 

The cause of the incident is now under investigation. Preliminary assessments suggest that the collapse occurred at the site of a pile boring operation, where a pipe burst led to unexpected flooding. This, combined with unstable soil conditions, is believed to have triggered the fatal fall and subsequent burial. Legal teams and safety officials are to conduct a full inquiry in the coming days.

 

Governor Chadchart acknowledged the dangers posed by the site and said the rescue crews must proceed with extreme caution. “We can only dig with machinery to a depth of about 10 metres due to risks to nearby infrastructure such as buildings and power poles. Beyond that, manual excavation is required,” he said.

 

The victim’s family has been assisted to the scene and is receiving support from the relevant authorities. The State Railway of Thailand has pledged to provide full compensation and further assistance to the bereaved.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-05-20.

 

 

 

 

Thailand certainly need to obtain some international professional safety company to help them revamp & gain some credibility regarding safe work procedures.

UPDATE
Worker’s Body Still Not Found After Fall Into Orange Line Construction Shaft

 

Picture from responders,

 

The body of a 33-year-old construction worker who fell into a deep shaft at a Bangkok mass transit site has still not been located authorities confirmed on 24 May.

 

Mr Sarawut “Dao” Chantasorn, from Sisaket Province, had been missing since the afternoon of 19 May when a soil collapse caused him to fall into a 19-metre-deep bored pile shaft at the construction site of the Orange Line electric train project near Soi Lan Luang 8, Pom Prap Sattru Phai district.

 

After days of intensive search and rescue efforts by the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team from the Bangkok Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, along with Ruamkatanyu Foundation volunteers, have so far only found a single glove, with human skin and flesh attached inside.

 

Rescue teams have encountered significant risks while operating in the confined space of the rescue shaft. On the afternoon of 23 May, while workers were operating near the suspected location of the body, a critical safety incident occurred when one of the steel sheet piles, installed to prevent further soil collapse, shifted under high surrounding pressure. This prompted an immediate evacuation and suspension of search efforts to allow engineers to resecure and reinforce the sheet piles.

 

With heavy rain at times, pumps are employed to remove the water from the shaft, allowing recovery teams to search for the body safely, as responders work around the clock to return the body to his family.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-24.

 

 

 

 

UPDATE
Body Recovered of Worker Who Fell into Orange Line Shaft in Bangkok

 

Pictures courtesy of Khaosod.

 

After more than 130 hours of painstaking search and rescue operations, emergency crews have recovered the body of a construction worker who fell into a 19-metre-deep shaft at an Orange Line railway construction site in central Bangkok.

 

The victim, identified as Mr. Sarawut Chantasorn 33, from Sisaket Province, fell into a foundation pile hole on 19 May while working on the dismantling of an old footbridge at the future Lan Luang Station, part of the Orange Line (Bang Khun Non–Thailand Cultural Centre section). The incident occurred near Soi Lan Luang 6 and 8 in the Maha Nak area of Pom Prap Sattru Phai district.

 

Following days of around-the-clock efforts, search teams pinpointed his likely location at a depth of 11.5 metres. At 19:00 on 24 May, rescue teams from the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) unit and the Ruamkatanyu Foundation intensified their recovery attempts.

 

Officials including Mr. Suriyachai Rawiwan, Director of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and Mr. Phet Phumma, District Director of Pom Prap Sattru Phai, were present to oversee the operation, alongside senior officers from Nang Loeng Police Station.

 

At 19:12, a specialised rescue team abseiled into the shaft, aided by air ventilation tubing to supply air below.

 

Additional reinforcements, four specialist personnel from Rescue Operation Unit 4, were called in by 20:00 due to the complexity of retrieving the body, which was found in a standing position surrounded by dense soil. A plan was made to excavate half the upper body and use harnesses to secure the remains without causing further damage.

By 22:30, rescue staff had fastened a safety harness around the chest and upper thighs. At midnight, the body was finally lifted from the muddy shaft. The operation concluded at 00:07 on 25 May.

 

The body was immediately sent for forensic examination at the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, with medical and evidence teams already briefed.

 

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) issued a statement of condolence following the successful recovery of the deceased worker’s body.

 

Mr. Wittaya Phanmongkol, Acting Governor and Deputy Governor for Operations at MRTA, acknowledged the tragedy and expressed his deepest sympathies to the family of Mr. Sarawut. He confirmed that all contractors and project consultants have been instructed to provide full compensation and support.

 

He also extended gratitude to all supporting agencies, including the Pom Prap Sattru Phai District Office, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Nang Loeng Police Station, the Metropolitan Electricity and Water Authorities, rescue foundations and the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Service.

 

“The search and recovery faced significant challenges due to the confined space and safety risks. But thanks to the tireless efforts and collaboration of all parties involved, the operation was ultimately successful,” he said.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-25.