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Drinking Water Truck Plunges Into Rapeepat Canal; Two Dead An accident occurred when a truck carrying drinking water collided with a pickup truck and lost control, plunging into the Rapeepat Canal. The incident resulted in the immediate deaths of two individuals. Full story : https://aseannow.com/topic/1336736-drinking-water-truck-plunges-into-rapeepat-canal-two-dead/

Picture from responders. An accident occurred on August 28, when a truck carrying drinking water collided with a pickup truck and lost control, plunging into the Rapeepat Canal. The incident resulted in the immediate deaths of two individuals. Police Lieutenant Colonel Pramuan Nawan-ngam, an investigator from Nong Suea Police Station, received a report of the accident involving two pickup trucks near the bridge crossing Canal 13, in front of the Sala Khru Health Promotion Hospital in Moo 6, Sala Khru Subdistrict, Nong Suea District, Pathum Thani Province. He arrived at the scene with a doctor from Nong Suea Hospital and volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation. At the scene, authorities found an Isuzu D-Max gray pickup truck with license plate Bangkok, which had lost control and fallen into the canal. Two individuals were pronounced dead from drowning, at the scene: Mr. Supanat, 18, the driver of the water delivery truck, and Mr. Thanaphon, 22, the passenger, both residents of Nong Samwang Subdistrict, Pathum Thani Province. Nearby, a black Mazda pickup truck with license plate Bangkok was parked by the bridge. The driver, Mr. Sompong, 73, an assistant village headman of Sala Khru, was unharmed. Mr. Sompong reported that he was returning from a meeting at the Nong Suea District Office and was on his way home to deliver documents to the village headman. As he was driving past the intersection near the bridge crossing the canal, the water delivery truck suddenly crashed into his vehicle, it lost control, and plunged into the canal. The incident was immediately reported to the police and rescue services by nearby villagers. Lieutenant Colonel Pramuan stated that Mr. Sompongin was brought in for questioning at Nong Suea Police Station. The bodies of the deceased were sent to the Somdet Phra Thep Medical Centre for further examination. Authorities will contact the victims' families for funeral arrangements according to their religious practices. The investigation of the incident is ongoing. -- 2024-08-29 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

UPDATE No Survivors Reached Yet in Collapsed High-Speed Rail Tunnel The Incident Command Centre for the collapsed high-speed rail tunnel has issued an update on the search and rescue operations, which steps back from the statements made yesterday that the first worker had been rescued. Full story : https://aseannow.com/topic/1336423-landslide-buries-workers-inside-high-speed-rail-tunnel-construction-in-nakhon-ratchasima/?do=findComment&comment=19188763

UPDATE No Survivors Reached Yet in Collapsed High-Speed Rail Tunnel Picture of the life detector radar scan from evening of August 28. The Incident Command Centre for the collapsed high-speed rail tunnel has issued an update on the search and rescue operations, which steps back from the statements made late evening of August 28, that the first worker had been rescued. The current situation is summarised as follows: 1. The Chinese engineering team has been continuously strengthening and reinforcing support structures to allow rescue workers to safely search in areas where victims are believed to be trapped. 2. Rocks and soil obstructing the rescue team’s operations have been cleared from the area within the reinforced structures. 3. The USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team conducted a scan for signs of life and movement. Signals were detected at a depth of 1.8 metre beneath a large boulder. 4. Efforts to drill and break through the large boulder blocking the search route in the area where the scan detected signs of life are ongoing. 5. Three subsidence sensors have been installed on the tunnel ceiling to ensure the safety and security of rescue workers. 6. Medical teams, rescue units, and police officers have prepared a plan to transport any survivors to the hospital, once safety removed from the tunnel. -- 2024-08-29 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

Rescuers are still not able to reach missing worker. Following the earlier statement to the media, that the first worker had been reached, it has now been clarified that the latest operation has been delayed again due to a large rock blocking the access route to the vehicle, so they are unable to reach him.. Officials must plan to break through the rock first to open the access route. The rescue teams have withdrawn from the tunnel to discuss a replan how to continue the operation. Apologises that the information has changes, but the earlier report was based on statements made to the media by senior officials.

i think any drilling for bolts would have been done by a Jumbo type vehicle. The bolts will only have to be shallow as it looks like the tunnel was using a metal lining, rather than mesh and shotcrete. I was thinking more of the exploration type drill rig, so quick deep holes could be drilled and lined if necessary.

This is my personal opinion on this rescue (this is not the view of the AN news team, but my own). The incident occurred after the roof collapsed, I have seen no details of the geological problem which caused this. It does appear that the workers were possibly in an area of unsupported ground, which is normally a no go zone, as before collapsing this type of roof should have shown some bowing or sagging, which should have been noticed on daily safety and geo tech inspections or by work teams. Questions on safety standards that can be asked are, no self rescue devices on workers, no emergency refuge chamber given the distance of travel, lack of helmet lamps, workers in short sleeves and no tag board system, as they did not even know the name of the Myanmar worker.. it is unclear if the site had emergency plans in place and what liaison had taken place between other agencies, or if any drills or training had taken place. Once the workers became trapped, there were 2 options, vertical or horizontal rescue. Given the unstable ground conditions and possible lack of suitable equipment, vertical access looked a non-starter. it is strange that no communications equipment, radios, were in place, to establish initial contact with the missing workers. Also there is no evidence that the construction company had access to a horizontal drill rig, which could have initially drilled small exploratory holes to help located and contact the missing workers. The USAR teams are well equipped, with life detection radar, endoscope cameras and seismic sound devices. The problem is gaining access through a very unstable earth pile, which continued to collapse. Concrete was injected in the collapsed area to try to help stabilise the rubble and the first plan, which failed, was the small circular pipe. The use of a construction of an old style mining access tunnel seemed the next logical and safe step, and clearance of the earth fall was never going to be achieved. Incident command has been a problem, as there seems no structure in place with too many agencies wanting be involved at the response level. Those agencies need to work together in the crisis command, supporting, not running the incident response, and provide the logistical support and deal with family and media requirements. Clear and concise media briefings would help convey a message that the rescue is under control. Too many unrealistic promises have been made, setting rescue timings, which are always doomed to fail. The good sign is that the first worker is found and alive, so hope remains for the other two.

The Myanmar driver remains trapped in the dump truck. Rescue teams are in contact with the worker and are working to extract him safely by manually removing debris around the vehicle. Medical teams are on standby inside the tunnel to evaluate whether the driver should be evacuated by helicopter, said caretaker Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking to the media. egarding the two remaining trapped Chinese nationals, Anutin stated that one is believed to be inside a vehicle approximately 3-4 metres away from the Myanmar driver, while the other is about 14 metres away and not inside any vehicle. They are believed to still be alive, as movements were detected by a life detection radar device. -- 2024-08-28 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, arrived at the scene and had been briefed before the first casualty was found. Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

First Worker Found Alive from Collapsed High-Speed Rail Tunnel: Myanmar National Found Trapped in Vehicle. The first worker trapped in the collapsed high-speed rail tunnel has been rescued. The worker, a Myanmar national, was discovered inside a vehicle within the tunnel. Full story : https://aseannow.com/topic/1336423-landslide-buries-workers-inside-high-speed-rail-tunnel-construction-in-nakhon-ratchasima/?do=findComment&comment=19187566

UPDATE First Worker Rescued from Collapsed High-Speed Rail Tunnel: Myanmar National Found Trapped in Vehicle. Picture from the scene The first worker trapped in the collapsed high-speed rail tunnel has been rescued. The worker, a Myanmar national, was discovered inside a vehicle within the tunnel. Rescue personnel knocked on the vehicle door and received a signal in response, confirming the worker's location and condition. At 14:55 on August 28,Medical teams were immediately dispatched to provide support, including food and medicine, before assessing the situation to determine the safest method for transporting the worker to the hospital, either by helicopter or vehicle. -- 2024-08-28 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

Ambulance Accident in Phichit, One Fatality and Several Injured An accident occurred in Phichit Province involving a collision between a pickup truck/ambulance, which had run into the rear of an 18-wheeler truck. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1336680-ambulance-accident-in-phichit-one-fatality-and-several-injured/

The USAR (Urban Search And Rescue) team are quoted to be using life detector radar equipment to locate the missing workers. This is portable radio detection system designed to locate survivors buried under rubble or debris by either movement or breathing and is normally based on GPR (ground penetrating radar) technology, which allows it to accurately pinpoint the location of a survivor and determine the distance to him or her. The device is very simple to operate and sends a GPR signals into the collapsed earth, quickly fixing on any movement or breathing. An accompanying Tablet PC displays the distance to the survivor using one coloured line for movement and a another coloured line for breathing. Example of expected display below. Detection by motion Detection by breathing The location of the missing workers are noted on this diagram, used at this morning’s media briefing.

Rescue Efforts Hampered by Repeated Cave-Ins Picture courtesy of ThaiRath, showing the new collapsed hole from the external of the tunnel. Rescue teams continue their struggle to save three individuals trapped in the collapsed Klong Phai railway tunnel in Nakhon Ratchasima. Despite extensive efforts, no one has yet been rescued. The situation worsened when a secondary collapse of the tunnel’s ceiling was reported, further complicating the rescue operations. Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue efforts. He convened an emergency meeting with key officials, including Deputy Governor Suraphan Silpasuwan, Pak Chong District Chief Kanatchanom Sricharoen, Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office Chief Krit Phunkasem, engineers from Naowarat Phatthanakan Public Company Limited, Chinese construction company Ju Zhong, engineers from the State Railway of Thailand, and rescue teams from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. The K-9 unit and medical teams were also present to assess the worsening situation. The briefing revealed that the tunnel ceiling had collapsed, creating a hole approximately 2 to 3 meters wide, allowing light to enter the tunnel. The incident posed a significant risk to rescue workers, prompting the USAR team to withdraw temporarily. A drone was deployed to assess the extent of the collapse and to gather data for further analysis. Yesterday, a rescue tunnel measuring 3 metres by 3 metres was constructed, with an additional tunnel measuring 2.5 metres deep. The rescue team anticipated reaching the location where vital signs were detected earlier today, but progress was halted due to unstable conditions. The search has now entered its fourth day, with the likelihood of survival decreasing as time passes. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul is expected to arrive by helicopter to personally oversee the rescue operations around midday. Later in the afternoon, Minister of Transport Suriya Jungrungreangkit will visit the site to assess the situation. The rescue teams remain on high alert, though the chances of a successful rescue are becoming increasingly slim. -- 2024-08-28 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

Picture from responders A tragic accident occurred on August 27, at approximately 03:30 on the Sak Lek-Wang Sai Phun Road in Phichit Province. The Mangkon Phichit Rescue Unit, responded to an emergency call regarding a collision between a pickup truck/ambulance, which had run into the rear of an 18-wheeler truck. The accident involved a rescue team ambulance from the Phutthammasongkroh Lamnarai Foundation, which was transporting flood relief supplies to Sukhothai Province and was not carrying any patients. The rescue vehicle collided with the back of the 18-wheeler, which is not known was stopped or slow moving, resulting in multiple injuries and one fatality. Three individuals were involved in the accident: - A 42-year-old male sustained a fractured left leg and a hip injury. - A 12-year-old boy suffered from neck pain and multiple abrasions on his face and body. - A 35-year-old woman, multiple injuries,who despite receiving CPR, tragically passed away at the scene. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. -- 2024-08-28 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

UPDATE Rescue Efforts Near Success in Collapsed Railway Tunnel Picture of the new temporary rescue tunnel being constructed. Rescue teams are within one metre of reaching the first of three workers trapped in the collapsed high-speed railway tunnel in Thailand. All three victims have shown signs of movement. The incident occurred during the construction of the Thai-Chinese high-speed railway between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima, specifically in the 1.5-kilometre long third tunnel located between Chakkarat Station and Khlong Khanan Chit in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The collapse, which trapped two Chinese workers and one Myanmar worker approximately 600 metres from the tunnel entrance, happened in the early hours of 25 August. On the morning of 28 August, Mr. Krikkesak Sann Vasasiri, Director of the Special Operations for Search and Rescue at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, provided an update on the rescue efforts. The team is constructing a temporary tunnel within the collapsed one, using steel beams and wooden structures to support the excavation. Rescue teams are employing a diagonal digging method, using machinery to carefully excavate the debris until they reach the first worker, whose position was detected 1.2 metres away by motion-detection equipment. The second worker is believed to be 8 metres further in, and the third another 14 metres beyond. Challenges have arisen due to sliding soil on the left side of the tunnel walls, which the team is countering by placing sandbags to stabilize the area. The first worker is expected to be reached and rescued today. Initial indications from motion sensors suggest that the worker is still breathing, as slight movements have been detected in the chest area. The rescue teams continue to work tirelessly to reach all three trapped individuals. -- 2024-08-28 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

Additional video showing the DDPM Russian built, Ka-32A11BC variant helicopter being used. The DDPM has 4 of these aircraft, which can be used for rescue, disaster relief or converted for firefighting. RPReplay_Final1724815382.mp4

Chinese & Thai Air Forces Engage in Simulated Air Combat During Exercise Falcon Strike 2024 The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force has sent a fleet of fighters to Thailand as part of the ongoing Exercise Falcon Strike 2024. In a display of military cooperation, the fighters are squaring off against the Royal Thai Air Force’s Saab Gripen fighters in simulated air combat scenarios. Full story : https://aseannow.com/topic/1336655-chinese-thai-air-forces-engage-in-simulated-air-combat-during-exercise-falcon-strike-2024/

Picture courtesy of Chinese news media. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has sent a fleet of fighters to Thailand as part of the ongoing Exercise Falcon Strike 2024. In a display of military cooperation, the PLAAF’s J-10C fighters are squaring off against the Royal Thai Air Force’s Saab Gripen fighters in simulated air combat scenarios. The exercise, which commenced on August 18 and will run through to August 29, marks the seventh iteration of Falcon Strike between the two nations. The PLAAF deployment, which began on August 14, includes advanced J-10C fighters, two-seat J-10AS variants, JH-7A attack aircraft, and a Xian Y-20 strategic transport aircraft. Falcon Strike 2024 is aimed at enhancing military cooperation and interoperability between the Chinese and Thai air forces. The timing of the exercise aligns with a diplomatic visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Thailand, following his official trip to Myanmar. The Royal Thai Air Force’s Saab Gripen jets are serving as the "red force" in the exercise, providing a formidable challenge to their Chinese counterparts. -- 2024-08-28 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

Pickup Truck Collides with House in Loei, 10 Students Injured A pickup truck transporting students suffers brake failure and crashes into a house in Loei, 10 passengers are injured. Full story : https://aseannow.com/topic/1336645-pickup-truck-collides-with-house-in-loei-10-students-injured /

Picture from responders. Loei 911 Rescue Association, on August 27 at 16.55, reported an accident involving a pickup truck transporting students that had collided and crashed into a house. The incident occurred in front of Chiang Khan Kindergarten (Pathummasongkhro) in Chiang Khan District, Loei Province, within the jurisdiction of the Chiang Khan Police Station. The red pickup truck, with license plate Loei, crashed into a residential property at No. 69, Chiang Khan Subdistrict, Chiang Khan District. The accident resulted in 10 injuries to the student passengers, the ages were not released. The injured individuals received initial first aid on-site and were subsequently transported to Chiang Khan Hospital. The incident is under investigation, but the driver told police that the pickup suffered brake failure and he lost control and could not avoid the accident. -- 2024-08-28 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

Fire Breaks Out at Bakery Warehouse in Ratchaburi A fire at a bakery and warehouse in Ratchaburi causes over 10 millions baht of damage and leaves the building unsafe and needing to be demolished. Full story : https://aseannow.com/topic/1336644-fire-breaks-out-at-bakery-warehouse-in-ratchaburi/

Picture from responders. At approximately 16:05, on August 27, the Ratchaburi’s Emergency Response Centre (191) received a report of a fire at a bakery and warehouse located at 76/3, behind the Sansern Village, Moo 9, Don Tako Subdistrict, Mueang Ratchaburi District. The Ratchaburi Provincial Police immediately dispatched officers from Mueang Ratchaburi Police Station, including patrol officers from Don Tako, along with emergency services such as the Rajanusorn Foundation, municipal firefighters, and units from Don Tako, Hinkong, and Ban Rai. The fire, which was in a cement construction warehouse, storing goods such as vegetable oil, flour, cream, boxes and bags for snacks, glasses and foam. Inside the warehouse, there were raw materials and materials that were combustible, causing the fire to spread quickly. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control in about 3 hours, though thick white smoke continued to rise from the site for another hour. Water trucks and hose-lines were used to extinguish the flames externally, due to safety concerns after large cracks were formed in the walls of the warehouse and the roof of the structure collapsed. Authorities closely monitored the situation to ensure the fire was fully extinguished. No injuries were reported, and the fire is currently under investigation with the cause yet to be determined and the damaged estimated at 10 million baht. The provincial civil engineering department inspected the building structure after the fire and confirmed that it was unsafe and will be demolished. -- 2024-08-28 Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

DDPM video of the rescue. RPReplay_Final1724760217.mp4

DDPM Teams Up with Army to Rescue Stranded Fisherman in Udon Thani Udon Thai, Huai Luang Dam Reservoir, a fisherman missing and stranded for over 48 hours has to be rescued by DDPM helicopter. Full story : https://aseannow.com/topic/1336641-ddpm-teams-up-with-army-to-rescue-stranded-fisherman-in-udon-thani/