This is the dramatic moment hero colleagues saved a worker who was buried alive under soil when a road collapsed.

The man was part of a team installing a new pipe when the earth, which had been weakened by recent heavy rain, gave way in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Friday.

Footage shows the chaos as the tarmac struck the back of his neck and pinned him to the ground.

However, the quick-thinking excavator operator scooped away mounds of earth, preventing him from being crushed to death.

The man, aged around 50, was pinned down by the weight of the soil on his legs. A rescue crew were later called to help lift the fallen road slab trapping him.

They spent around 20 minutes freeing the unconscious worker, who was rushed to Nakornping Hospital for treatment.

Authorities said his condition is currently being monitored, and relevant organisations will conduct an inspection of the site's safety measures.

They added that the drainage work was being carried out after water levels at nearby Huai Tueng Thao rose to dangerous levels, sparking flooding fears.