Bangkok sinkhole sparks warnings for Dhaka’s future
A section of road outside a Bangkok hospital collapsed early yesterday (September 24, 2025), leaving a gaping hole around 50 metres wide and pulling down power lines as water gushed from a burst underground pipe. The sinkhole, which appeared near Vajira Hospital and a police station, forced evacuations and prompted urgent repairs.
The dramatic cave-in has reignited debate in Bangladesh, where urban planners warn that Dhaka could face similar disasters if current urban growth trends continue.
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On May 27 this year, a sudden cavity appeared near Shankar Footbridge in Dhanmondi, alarming pedestrians and halting traffic. The crater quickly drew comparisons to a sinkhole after images went viral on social media.
City authorities filled it with sand and debris overnight, restoring traffic by next morning.
Experts, however, questioned whether the hole qualified as a true sinkhole.
Professor Subrata Kumar Saha, head of Dhaka University's geology department, noted that genuine sinkholes typically occur in limestone or gypsum-rich regions through chemical erosion.
"Such conditions do not exist in Dhaka's plain lands," he explained.
Still, weak sediments, faulty construction methods, underground leaks and shifting soil can trigger similar collapses.
Engineers say the Dhanmondi cavity formed after a leaking water line undermined the soil during underground utility drilling.
Saiful Islam, executive engineer of Dhaka South City Corporation, confirmed that the ground gave way as sand washed out.
"Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) was laying an underground line through horizontal drilling. At that time, a water line from Dhaka Wasa's Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant began leaking. Gradually, the leakage washed away the sand, which eventually caused the cavity to form," he said.
Urban planner Professor Adil Muhammad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, warned that excessive groundwater extraction poses a serious threat.
"Sinkholes are one form of ground subsidence, and they could occur on a much larger scale," he said. "Already, 70 percent of Dhaka's water for its 20 million residents comes from underground sources."
"We focus on above-ground planning but ignore what's happening beneath the surface. Groundwater levels in Dhaka are falling by several feet each year, creating underground voids that raise the risk of land subsidence," he added.
He added that the behaviour of soil under high-rise foundations is poorly understood.
"Even a minor tremor could make the ground shift unpredictably, compromising even the strongest structures, potentially leading to building collapses or widespread sinkholes."
Cities worldwide have faced devastating sinkholes. Guatemala City saw giant craters in 2007 and 2010, with one swallowing an entire intersection. Florida in the United States, built on limestone, regularly reports sinkhole incidents that destroy homes and roads. China's Chongqing and Guangdong provinces, Russia's Berezniki, and even Jerusalem have witnessed similar collapses linked to geology, heavy rainfall or construction activity.
Experts stress that Dhaka must learn from these cases.
"We are already creating the conditions for disaster," Adil Muhammad Khan adding, "Unless we address groundwater use and strengthen soil research, we risk much larger catastrophes."
[This report was originally published on The Daily Star Bangla website on June 1, 2025. Following the massive sinkhole incident in Bangkok on September 24, the story was updated today]
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