Watch: Massive 50-metre sinkhole opens near Bangkok hospital; damages vehicles, electricity poles

A massive sinkhole, nearly 50 metres deep, opened up on Wednesday morning near Vajira Hospital in Bangkok, swallowing cars and electricity poles and forcing authorities to evacuate people from the area.

The incident occurred around 7 am on Samsen Road, in the Thai capital, and has been linked to the ongoing construction of a nearby railway station.

Dramatic videos of the collapse have gone viral on social media. 

The footage showed the road slowly sinking as water poured out from a drainage pipe, dragging down electricity poles. The hospital announced that it would not take on patients during the incident.

"Dirt from an underground train construction was sliding in," Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters. 

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt confirmed that there were no injuries or casualties. However, three vehicles were damaged in the collapse. Patients from Vajira Hospital and residents of nearby apartments were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

The Governor announced that outpatient services at Vajira Hospital will remain suspended until Thursday, though inpatient and emergency departments are functioning as usual. He added that the sinkhole was caused by the railway construction activity in the area.

The incident comes at a time when Bangkok is already reeling under heavy rainfall, triggered by Super Typhoon Ragasa which is moving towards the Mekong Delta. The Meteorological Department has forecast rain and thunderstorms across the city until Thursday.