Panicked residents flee as Samut Prakan homes tilt on foundations
Residents of a Samut Prakan housing estate are seeking urgent government assistance after sudden subsidence around midnight on Monday left eight townhouses visibly tilting with cracks in walls, beams and pillars.
Waritha Doundsungnoen, 50, who was among 20 residents of the Saeng Tawan Housing Estate in Bang Sao Thong district who had to flee their homes in the middle of night, said her family’s sleep was interrupted by what sounded “like rats running around the ceiling”, followed by loud cracking and the whole house shaking.
“We ran outside and saw that our neighbours were doing the same,” she said.
Once the din subsided, they went back inside to investigate and realised that their houses had tilted backwards and had cracks running through the infrastructure.
Waritha said she bought her house 12 years ago and had never before had subsidence problems. One other house in the neighbourhood did suffer slight subsidence previously and was being repaired, she said.
“My family members and our neighbours have been adversely affected and we need help and shelter,” she said, urging authorities to provide aid.
Disaster prevention and mitigation officials in Tambon Bang Sao Thong assessed the damage on Tuesday morning and summoned inspectors and aid agencies.
The neighbourhood was sealed off to safeguard against injury in the event any buildings collapse.