LPG Truck Crash Ties Up Traffic In North Bangkok

[webfact]

Tanker crash ties up traffic in north Bangkok

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A tanker trailer-truck containing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) crashed and tilted early yesterday morning at a major elevated junction in Pathum Thani, causing heavy traffic congestion across northern Bangkok before being finally sorted out without damage.

During the eight-hour period beginning at 5 am, residents in a 200-metre radius of the scene had been instructed not to cause any fire, switch on lights or cook for fear that electrical sparks or smoke could cause an explosion.

White LPG fumes leaked from the tank until 11.30 am, when PTT safety experts arrived with two empty tankers and three crane trucks. They closed a valve and shut off the LPG in the truck's tank. The truck, belonging to Premruethai Petroleum, was at half full capacity when the gas was offloaded from its tank to the two trucks. Traffic flow was restored at 1pm.

Before the PTT experts arrived, water from fire trucks was poured on the valve and around the scene in an effort to minimise the risk of explosion, while many attempts by non-experts to close the valve had failed.

The accident prompted closure of traffic from all road networks north of Bangkok adjacent to the junction, causing heavy congestion stretching into 10-km bumper-to-bumper gridlock in all directions.

An eyewitness said the 18-wheel truck was travelling down a ramp at the junction at high speed, before it swerved and tilted. The driver later emerged from the wreck and stood for a while, before walking away. Saran Rangkharisi, a senior PTT official, said the truck hit a wall, prompting a valve to open and leak.

An inspection into the valve’s functionality is underway, to determine why it opened after the impact, and whether the crash resulted from slippery surface or error by the driver, who has not yet been identified. He has been charged with causing damage through carelessness.

-- The Nation 2012-02-06

[webfact]

LPG Truck Accident Causes Gas Leak

BANGKOK: -- An accident that involved an LPG truck has caused a gas leak and the closure of a suburban road for most of the day yesterday.

A truck carrying 15-tons of liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, belonging to Premruthai Petroleum, overturned at a red light on the outbound lane of Lamlukka Road at the junction with the Eastern Ring Road. The accident caused LPG to leak from the truck.

To prevent extensive damage should an explosion have occured, officials closed off both the inbound and outbound lanes of Lamlukka Road, as well as the Motorway, causing a ten kilometer traffic backup.

Firefighters sprayed the gas truck with water and foam to contain the gas.

Electricity within a 500 meter radius was also cut to prevent sparks, which could have caused an explosion. The driver fled immediately after the accident.

PTT officials were summoned to close the valve of the gas truck.

There was extensive damage to the truck due to the overturn, which caused the valve to open and liquid and gas to leak.

Officials had to wait until the level of liquid in the truck was lower than the valve before they used a water-soaked cloth to shut the valve and a crane to right the truck.

The truck was then transported to a gas station at Klong Luang District where it will be inspected by an official from the Industrial Works Department.

Police are pursuing the truck driver in an effort to determine the cause of the accident.

-- Tan Network 2012-02-06

[Moruya]

_{LPG is probably the most explosive material moved by road. In an explosion it will suck in as much oxygen as it needs to combust.}

_{Asking people in a radius of 250m to not use any sources of ignition and spraying water on the tanker is like swatting a rhino with a fly.}

_{If that load had ignited the blast would have been massive and many people would have died including a load from asphyxiation.}

_{It seems that the standards of driving in Thailand apply to taxis, tuk tuks, minivans, buses as well as tankers. God help those who might be in a place such as Platinum Mall or MBK if this happened outside on a busy day}

[webfact]

PTT investigating fuel tanker overturn incident

BANGKOK, 6 February 2012 (NNT) - After a fuel tanker containing 20 tons of LPG overturned in Pathum Thani province on Sunday, the PTT is investigating into the cause of the incident.

Authorities had to spray water over the overturned truck for eight hours to cool the tank in order to prevent ignition before being able to move the truck.

PTT Senior Executive Vice President Sarun Rungkasiri revealed that a truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) overturned and crashed into an electrical pole on the Lam Luk Ka section of the motorway in Pathum Thani province. The crash caused large amount of gas leakage.

The PTT emergency rescue team used a crane truck to lift the fuel tanker before pumping the remaining gas to another fuel tanker. The company is investigating why the safety valve was open after the crash, causing leakage.

In response, the Pollution Control Department said that the leakage may slightly affect residents in nearby areas during the period of the leakage, but that it should not have pose any threat in the long-run.

-- NNT 2012-02-06

[Soutpeel]

"Police are pursuing the truck driver in an effort to determine the cause of the accident"

This for me is the scariest part....the driver did a bunk....I cant fathom why in this case would the driver do a runner as he is working for someone of the likes of PTT, one assumes the drivers are trained in basic emergency response and his input with the emergency services may have help them deal with this quicker..

Edit...

The company is investigating why the safety valve was open after the crash, causing leakage.

Now it makes sense why he did a bunk..

Edited February 6, 2012 by Soutpeel

[kartman]

Crash at 5am safety experts arrive at 11.30 am obviously working Thai time or PTT has no emergency plans, both i suspect .

[mrdome]

_{LPG is probably the most explosive material moved by road. In an explosion it will suck in as much oxygen as it needs to combust.}

_{Asking people in a radius of 250m to not use any sources of ignition and spraying water on the tanker is like swatting a rhino with a fly.}

_{If that load had ignited the blast would have been massive and many people would have died including a load from asphyxiation.}

[...]

What do you suggest they should have done then under the circumstances?

[Unkomoncents]

I love how E-V-E-R-Y S-I-N-G-L-E time there's an accident in Thailand the driver either walks or runs away and the police are reported to be looking for him.

[mrdome]

Crash at 5am safety experts arrive at 11.30 am obviously working Thai time or PTT has no emergency plans, both i suspect .

This may be a misunderstanding and the emphasis may have been on the last part of the sentence. It obviously will take some time for the equipment to be sourced and driven to the accident scene.

[BkkMikey]

It takes PTT safety experts 7 and a half hour to mobilize and arrive on the scene. Guess they never imagined one of their trucks being driven by an speeding Thai driver.....

[MikeOboe57]

Who remembers this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Alfaques_Disaster

[Moruya]

_{LPG is probably the most explosive material moved by road. In an explosion it will suck in as much oxygen as it needs to combust.}

_{Asking people in a radius of 250m to not use any sources of ignition and spraying water on the tanker is like swatting a rhino with a fly.}

_{If that load had ignited the blast would have been massive and many people would have died including a load from asphyxiation.}

[...]

What do you suggest they should have done then under the circumstances?

Evacuate as quickly as possible upstream of the wind on foot would seem the most prudent course.

[webfact]

September 28, 2010

20th Anniversary of Devastating Bangkok Gas Explosion

In 1990, a devastating accident involving a gas transport truck devastated 21 city blocks along the New Petchaburi Road in Bangkok, killing 59 civilians and injuring many more. Here we recount the news from that shocking event.

The accident occurred on the 24th of September 1990, a typical Monday night in Bangkok, however, the following 24hrs, weeks and months were anything but for those involved. Now a little over 20 years since that tragic night, when a gas transport truck crashed causing widespread destruction and death, the people involved still remember the incident as if it was yesterday.

Witness accounts from the accident state that the driver of the Siam Gas Company (registration number 71-0415) truck, Mr. Sutat Fackaelek, had been speeding to avoid stopping at a set of traffic lights at the time of the accident. Turning at the busy intersection, with two 20,000-liter gas storage tanks on the rear of the truck, the vehicle reportedly tipped over before sliding a significant distance across the New Petchaburi Road.

The situation that followed saw the two, later found to be unsecured, gas cylinders come loose from the trucks tray, rolling across the road at speed due to momentum. One of the cylinders, made of iron, cracked in the process, releasing its contents, which were then ignited by sparks from the crash. The second cylinder exploded shortly after, spreading the destruction and resultant fire to the opposite side of the major road.

Full story: http://www.pattayada...-gas-explosion/

-- Pattaya Daily News

[TheWalkingMan]

The driver later emerged from the wreck and stood for a while, before walking away.

Same old story, but I guess he thought about before walking away.

[rmacdon61]

As heavy gas, it settles to the lowest point and waits, for a wind or a spark. 200 meter zone is pretty sad given the over pressure from the blast is huge. The volume of air consumed is rapidly replaced causing a secondary event. Thank god, there was no explosion and fire. Seems god does love children and fools. Darwin is shaking his head as I type this. Can't be right everytime.

[Payboy]

An eyewitness said the 18-wheel truck was travelling down a ramp at the junction at high speed, before it swerved and tilted.

An inspection into the valve’s functionality is underway, to determine why it opened after the impact, and whether the crash resulted from slippery surface or error by the driver, who has not yet been identified.

He has been charged with causing damage through carelessness.

All options are open then.

[astanhope]

Does anyone recall an explosion of a fuel truck of some sort (น้ำมัน) taking place inside Bangkok proper with a number of casualties sometime in the mid or late 1980s?

[astanhope]

Asked and answered!

[monkey4u]

This driver did as he was trained, run away and deny all resposibility, some excuses are a ghost stood in front of me

The best being I was not there, I was at home in bed

[Soutpeel]

This driver did as he was trained, run away and deny all resposibility, some excuses are a ghost stood in front of me

The best being I was not there, I was at home in bed

or somebody nicked his truck...

[necronx99]

I know it's their job but,Brave Fire crew.

[dean999]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUKObJFB2hA

Edited February 6, 2012 by dean999

[Moruya]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUKObJFB2hA

This was liquid petroleum gas - an altogether different matter

[dean999]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUKObJFB2hA

This was liquid petroleum gas - an altogether different matter

Just googled the difference. Now i know.

The explosion would be the same though. Surely.

[Moruya]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUKObJFB2hA

This was liquid petroleum gas - an altogether different matter

Just googled the difference. Now i know.

The explosion would be the same though. Surely.

I believe that LPG is significantly more dangerous in the manner in which it "explodes" - much wider radius and sucking the oxygen out of the surrounding air.

[rubl]

a clip of an LPG tanker explosion:

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/massive-lpg-tanker-explosion-caught-on-camera-85852

[katana]

I love how E-V-E-R-Y S-I-N-G-L-E time there's an accident in Thailand the driver either walks or runs away and the police are reported to be looking for him.

To be fair, the captain of the ill-fated cruise liner the Costa Concordia, Captain Schettino, which crashed into the Italian coast on 13/01/12, also fled the scene pretty promptly. It's not a purely Thai habit.

[MikeOboe57]

I love how E-V-E-R-Y S-I-N-G-L-E time there's an accident in Thailand the driver either walks or runs away and the police are reported to be looking for him.

To be fair, the captain of the ill-fated cruise liner the Costa Concordia, Captain Schettino, which crashed into the Italian coast on 13/01/12, also fled the scene pretty promptly. It's not a purely Thai habit.

"Nonono, I a only fella innato eh, como si dice, una scialuppa di salvataggio, eh life-a-boat-a..."

[WarpSpeed]

_{LPG is probably the most explosive material moved by road. In an explosion it will suck in as much oxygen as it needs to combust.}

_{Asking people in a radius of 250m to not use any sources of ignition and spraying water on the tanker is like swatting a rhino with a fly.}

_{If that load had ignited the blast would have been massive and many people would have died including a load from asphyxiation.}

_{It seems that the standards of driving in Thailand apply to taxis, tuk tuks, minivans, buses as well as tankers. God help those who might be in a place such as Platinum Mall or MBK if this happened outside on a busy day}

Well no need for me to respond, you already did it for me..

[bkk_mike]

Why didn't they get people evacuated...?

LPG is extremely dangerous stuff and a tanker of it exploding would have been a far bigger explosion than what happened in 1990.