Shocking moment huge 50m-deep sinkhole opens up in front of hospital in Bangkok

The massive crater appeared around the Vajira Hospital on Samsen Road in the Thai capital at around 7.15am on Wednesday morning.

Its sudden collapse forced local authorities to close nearby roads and evacuate patients and residents from the area.

Videos posted on social media show the road crumbling into the sinkhole, exposing a burst pipe gushing into the void.

Pulled-down power lines can also be seen dangling inside the crater, while a white truck sits dangerously close to the edge of the steep drop.

Locals say they were woken this morning by heavy rumbling and the sound of electricity poles crashing into the ground.

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Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the sinkhole was caused by a leak in a tunnel at a construction site for a new underground train station.

Suriyachai Rawiwan, director of Bangkok's disaster prevention department, added that the collapse was likely linked to recent heavy rain and a leaky pipe.

"There was a leak in the water pipe - water from the pipe eroded (earth) under the road so this incident happened," he said, adding that there were no known casualties.

"The water that eroded brought some soil that dropped down to an under-construction subway station, causing the collapse," Mr Rawiwan added.

No injuries have been reported so far, but traffic remains closed from Vajira intersection to Sanghi intersection and the surrounding areas, local news outlet The Nation reported.