Order to urgently mobilize assistance for 3 missing persons due to subsidence in railway tunnel

"Surapong" ordered to urgently mobilize assistance for 3 missing persons from the collapse of the Khlong Phai railway tunnel, and to urgently investigate the cause. At 11:40 p.m. on the night of August 24, 2024, there was a landslide inside the Khlong Phai railway tunnel, Khlong Khanan Chit section, Chan Thuek Subdistrict, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, which is a tunnel under construction for the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project, Phase 1, Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima section, Contract 3-2, Muak Lek and Lam Takhong tunnel construction project, causing 3 workers who were digging the tunnel to be trapped inside. Mr. Ekarat Sriarayanpong, Chief of the Governor's Office of the State Railway of Thailand, revealed that after the incident, Mr. Surapong Piyachote, Deputy Minister of Transport, ordered the railway officials to urgently dig the soil to help the workers trapped in the tunnel as soon as possible, with safety in operations being a top priority and to closely monitor the situation in t he area to investigate and assess the cause of the incident. From the initial investigation, it was found that the Khlong Pai railway tunnel is almost finished. At present, the tunnel has been dug to a length of approximately 4,100 meters. Inside the tunnel during construction, the tunnel walls are being built along the entire length. At the scene where the rock and soil collapsed inside the tunnel, approximately 10-30 meters long, the tunnel walls are being built. At present, the State Railway of Thailand is expediting the assistance of the 3 workers trapped inside, consisting of: Mr. Hu Siangmin, male, Chinese nationality (supervisor) Mr. Dong Chinlin, male, Chinese nationality (drives a backhoe) Unidentified male (truck driver) is under construction. In addition, he ordered the relevant railway officials to closely assess and monitor the situation of other railway construction projects that are under construction, especially those in areas with heavy rain or at risk of flooding, landslides, and flash floods, and to adhere to the safety standard manual as a priority. Finally, Mr. Surapong, Deputy Minister of Transport, has urged all parties to increase strict safety measures for construction in all projects, taking into account the highest safety of the workers, so that such incidents do not happen again Source: Thai News Agency