Massive sinkhole in Bangkok street forces evacuations

A portion of a busy road in Thailand's capital caved in Wednesday, leaving a hole dozens of metres deep that forced people to evacuate and drew a visit from the prime minister. Just outside a local police station and Vajira Hospital in a residential district of Bangkok, a roughly 50-metre hole pulled down power lines and exposed a burst pipe gushing water.

Director of Bangkok's disaster prevention department told the collapse was likely linked to heavy rain and a leaky pipe that eroded earth under the road. Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited the site, stating he was "concerned" and had ordered people at risk to be moved out of the area. Anutin also said he expected repairs to the collapsed subway tunnel to take about a year.