BANGKOK – A construction worker at the Orange Line railway project plunged into a water-filled 19-meter-deep excavation pit on Monday afternoon, triggering a desperate rescue operation in the heart of the capital.

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The accident occurred around noon at the Lan Luang Station construction site near Soi Lan Luang 6 in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district. According to the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, the victim, a worker reportedly from Si Sa Ket province, was tightening bolts on machinery when the unstable sandy ground beneath him suddenly gave way, sending him plummeting into the abyss, the Bangkok Post reported.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene as colleagues and emergency teams rushed to save the trapped man. With water rapidly filling the pit, rescuers deployed excavators and industrial pumps while a brave volunteer rappelled down in a risky attempt to locate the worker.

A Thai construction worker remains trapped in a hole at the MRT Orange Line construction site in Bangkok’s Pom Prap Sattru Phai district after falling in around noon today. The hole is reportedly 19 metres deep. Rescue efforts have been hindered by muddy, unstable soil. https://t.co/DoS1EoHpzA

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“I reached 19 meters down but felt nothing—he might be buried even deeper,” the rescuer told reporters, his voice tense with urgency.

As the operation stretched into the evening, the worker’s distraught family kept vigil at the site, clinging to hope for what one relative called “a miracle.” An ambulance remained on standby while authorities from the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) secured the area.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about safety protocols at major infrastructure projects across Bangkok. The Orange Line’s western section, connecting Bang Khun Non to Thailand Cultural Centre, represents a crucial part of the city’s expanding rail network.

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MRTA officials confirmed an immediate investigation into the accident, while construction at the affected site was temporarily halted. With nightfall complicating rescue efforts, authorities vowed to continue the search until the missing worker is found.

-Thailand News (TN)