Chiang mai: Officials are rushing to assess the damage and clear the area after a drinking water truck crashed into 52 power poles along a road in Chiang Mai province, knocking them down and damaging 20 houses. They will rush to install new power poles and restore the electrical system today.
According to Thai News Agency, hundreds of officials mobilized to address over 50 damaged and fallen power poles blocking the Pha Muang Road in the Nong Ho district of Chiang Mai city for over a kilometer. The operation cleared the road and restored the electrical system overnight. The road remained closed this morning to expedite the installation of new power poles and restore the system. This follows yesterday’s accident where a water-laden pickup truck swerved off a curve and crashed into a power pole, seriously injuring the driver and killing a passenger. The incident resulted in 24 115-kilovolt high-voltage power poles being knocked down, 23 22-kilovolt high-voltage power poles, and five low-voltage power poles, totaling 52 poles, seven transformers, and 34 electricity meters being damaged.
In addition, there were about 20 houses and roadside restaurants damaged by falling power poles. Ms. Fon, owner of Him Kong Restaurant, which was hit by a high-voltage power pole and caught fire, said that a pickup truck was driving very fast before crashing into the power pole opposite the restaurant.
Mr. Thongsuk, Manager of the Provincial Electricity Authority’s Chiang Mai Branch 2, revealed that over 400 personnel are currently deployed to install new power poles and restore the power system, which was still out within a 1.5-kilometer radius of the incident. He confirmed that PEA’s power poles are TIS certified and can be inspected. However, the fact that a single car crash caused so many downed poles was due to the curve in the accident site, necessitating more frequent pole installations. When the first pole was knocked down by a car, the power lines were subjected to increased surges, causing other poles to fall as well. Initial damages to the poles and their installation and removal are estimated at 5 million baht.