Bangkok Authorities Stage Mass Casualty Earthquake Drill on Skytrain
Bangkok emergency services staged an overnight earthquake drill at Surasak BTS Station to test inter-agency response to mass casualty incidents
- Bangkok authorities, medical teams, and transport operators conducted a mass casualty earthquake drill at the Surasak BTS Skytrain Station.
- The exercise simulated a major tremor striking a stationary train, causing widespread injuries to commuters and requiring an emergency evacuation.
- The drill's primary goal was to test inter-agency coordination, response protocols, and medical triage under a unified command structure.
- Officials emphasized that the annual drill is crucial for evaluating disaster readiness and ensuring emergency services can deploy systematically during a real large-scale incident.
Bangkok emergency services staged an overnight earthquake drill at Surasak BTS station to test inter-agency response to mass casualty incidents.
City authorities, medical teams, and transport operators staged an overnight earthquake emergency drill at Surasak BTS Skytrain Station to test response protocols during a simulated mass casualty incident.
The joint exercise, held at 01:30 on 22 August 2026, involved the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Lerdsin Hospital, Bangkok Mass Transit System PCL (BTS), and emergency response networks.
The scenario simulated a major tremor striking while a Skytrain carriage was stationary at the platform, resulting in widespread injuries among commuters on board and on the platform, necessitating an immediate evacuation.
Command Structure and Medical Triage
The operation focused on multi-agency integration under a unified command structure. The director of Sathorn District acted as incident commander, coordinating logistics and safety across municipal agencies.
Medical operations were led by Lerdsin Hospital as the medical incident commander, supported by the BMA’s Erawan Emergency Medical Centre. Emergency teams established triage protocols on site before coordinating with local hospital networks and rescue foundations to transport casualties.
Dr Kriengkrai Tangchitmaneewongsa, director of the BMA Medical Department, noted that disaster preparedness is critical for urban transport networks.
He emphasised that regular annual drills ensure emergency services can deploy systematically during large-scale incidents.
Evaluating Disaster Readiness
Dr Komchit Chavanasporn, director of the Erawan Centre, said the realistic simulation provided crucial operational data.
"This exercise allowed all participating agencies to rigorously test their protocols," Dr Komchit said. "Evaluating the outcomes helps us identify strengths and address shortcomings, ensuring our emergency teams can deliver fast, precise, and safe assistance when an actual disaster strikes."
Photos: Surasit Ratsameekittikul / NationPhoto
