Railway tunnel collapses in northeast Thailand leaving three trapped inside

A railway tunnel collapsed in northeast Thailand leaving at least three workers trapped inside.

The structure was being built by a Chinese first that allegedly hired cheap Burmese laborers before the catastrophe in Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday evening, August 24, shortly before midnight.

Officials said the 2.5 miles (4.1 kilometres) tunnel was near completion when a section up to 100ft long (30 metres) gave way.

The victims were later identified as a Chinese foreman, Hu Xiang Min, a Chinese backhoe operator, Dong Xin Lin, and a Burmese truck driver.

Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum said that more than 24 staff from local rescue teams arrived at the scene but they were allegedly banned by the Chinese construction workers from entering.

The governor ordered the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to provide an explanation.

He also assigned Pak Chong District Chief Kanatchanont Sricharoen and Police Colonel Wiraphon Prakobpho, superintendent of Pak Chong Police Station, to investigate the cause of the collapse.

Officials said that local workers were initially hired but Chinese staff later reassigned them as security officers outside while cheaper labourers from Myanmar were tasked with working inside.

Witnesses said that workers were operating a backhoe and a loader deep inside the tunnel when a landslide occurred, burying the vehicles and the three workers.

Ekarat Sriarayanpong, head of the SRT Governor's Office, stated on August 25 that Transport Deputy Minister Surapong Piyachote ordered SRT to urgently dig into the collapsed tunnel to rescue the victims while ensuring safety.

Surapong also instructed officials to closely monitor the situation and evaluate the cause of the collapse.

Ekarat said that the tunnel was almost complete and the collapsed section was estimated to be between 32fy and 98ft (10 to 30 metres) in an area where tunnel walls were being constructed.

For the rescue operation, Ekarat noted that it was led by an expert in geology and tunnel construction to prevent further accidents.

By around 5pm, the team managed to open up part of the upper soil to insert oxygen tubes into the area where the victims were located.

They needed to dig an additional 65ft (20 metres) to insert a 4ft (1.2 metre) wide tube to assist with getting oxygen to those trapped under the rubble.

The SRT also instructed relevant staff to monitor the safety of other train construction projects, especially in areas prone to heavy rains or other risks such as floods or landslides, ensuring that safety measures are taken into consideration.

The government is constructing a 156-mile (251-kilometre) section of the Sino-Thai high-speed rail link between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima.

This section is expected to be completed in 2028.

The Muak Lek-Lam Takhong tunnel, part of this project, was designed to stretch approximately five miles (eight kilometres).

Nawarat Patanakarn Plc was contracted to build the tunnel, which was 74 per cent complete at the time of the collapse.