Bangkok: Residents are terrified and evacuating due to cracks in the building and a road collapse at Wongwian Yai intersection. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has installed sensors to monitor the situation, fearing structural safety issues.According to Thai News Agency, a road subsidence and cracks were discovered on the road surface at Wongwian Yai intersection following water leaks and flooding inside a subway construction tunnel last night. In response, relevant agencies have swiftly moved to investigate, evacuating residents and businesses in the affected area for safety measures.Mr. Teerapat Khachamat, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), visited the site to monitor the situation. He directed crisis response teams to install two building collapse monitoring sensors, known as Rescue Guardian, near the intersection. These sensors are designed to measure the building's tilt and movement in real-time, providing immediate alerts if a ny abnormalities are detected. Positioned within approximately 30 meters of the cracked area, these devices are part of a broader effort by a team of engineers from the National Urban Search and Rescue (USAR Thailand) to closely monitor and assess the structural stability of the building.Meanwhile, the DDPM, in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Mass Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), continues to monitor the situation around the incident site. Residents and businesses have been instructed to evacuate and relocate their belongings to mitigate risks. Shops and buildings are actively moving their assets out, fueling public anxiety as cracks have been identified in several buildings, with engineering inspections pending to confirm their safety.Ms. Chulathip, 62, one of the affected residents, mentioned that she lives in a high-risk area but faces challenges in evacuating due to a knee injury. She has temporarily rented a hotel room in the Wongwian Yai area and remains hesit ant to return until officials inspect and confirm the building's structural safety.Aunt Renu, aged 58, shared her concerns while picking up her daughter from a high-risk area to relocate temporarily to a hotel. She expressed her worries, referencing similar past incidents near Vajira Hospital and questioning how the responsible agencies and the project management company are handling the situation.Aunt Renu also voiced her hope for accountability from those involved, emphasizing that the incident placed undue hardship on residents. Occurring in the evening, many people had just returned home from work and were forced to evacuate quickly without clear directions. Although shelters were provided by authorities, their distance from the affected area posed challenges, especially with hundreds of residents needing new accommodations late at night.
