Officials inspected seven large sinkholes in Phu Pha Man District, Khon Kaen Province. They believe the cause is continuous rainfall and have warned villagers to be cautious of natural hazards.
On 4 Aug 2016 at 11:30 a.m., Mr. Siwakorn Mitrach, District Chief of Phu Pha Man, Khon Kaen, received reports from villagers about large sinkholes forming in Village 2, Ban Wang Charoen, Huai Muang Subdistrict. He instructed Mr. Prajuab Jitkhum, Senior District Official, and Mr. Komphet Krosing, Chief of Huai Muang Subdistrict Administrative Organization, to lead officials to inspect the site.
They found seven large circular sinkholes in farmland near a sugarcane forest. Each sinkhole measured approximately 5-6 meters in diameter and about 4-5 meters deep, with water seeping at the bottom of the pits.
The site is in villagers’ farmland outside the national park and tourist areas, about 12 kilometers from the district center. It is believed that after several days of heavy rain, the underground soil became saturated, softening and causing subsidence in a natural underground water area.
After the incident, the district reported it to the provincial authorities, coordinated with geological experts for further inspection, and issued public notices urging residents to be cautious of natural hazard dangers.