A container truck snagged power lines at the entrance to Bang Pu Industrial Estate in Samut Prakan Province, pulling down over 70 utility poles along a 2-kilometer stretch and causing a widespread power outage.
At 01:00 on 30 Jan 2026, Police Colonel Watchara Thepsen, superintendent of Bang Pu Police Station, received a report of an accident involving a container truck trailer snagging power lines. This caused more than 70 utility and streetlight poles to break and fall continuously over several kilometers, from the curve in front of Muang Samut Bang Pu Hospital to the mouth of Nuannet Alley. The incident occurred on the bridge at the entrance to Bang Pu Industrial Estate on Sukhumvit Road, Bang Pu Mai Subdistrict, Mueang District, Samut Prakan Province.
At the scene on the bridge crossing the canal, officials found a Hino container truck registered in Bangkok parked. Along the side of Sukhumvit Road, toppled utility poles had fallen onto a bus stop sign, blocking bicycle lanes and multiple alley entrances and exits, including the entrance to Bang Pu Industrial Estate. However, Sukhumvit Road remained open for normal traffic, and no injuries or fatalities were reported from the incident.
Mr. Tu, 48, the truck driver, said he was driving to pick up goods at Bang Pu Industrial Estate and was using this route for the first time. Along the way, he asked colleagues for directions and followed the signs. When turning into the alley and driving up a hill with low lighting, he did not see the sagging cable coil that had been snagged and lowered beforehand. The edge of the container then caught the power lines, causing the utility poles to topple like dominoes in sequence, prompting him to stop and inspect the damage.
Technical Sergeant Soracha Phancha, an antenna technician from the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, reported that initial inspections found the damaged poles were medium-voltage utility poles about 12 meters high, numbering around 70 and spread across roughly 2 kilometers. Additionally, electrical equipment such as transformers and other components in the power distribution system were also damaged.
However, the exact cost of the damages cannot be determined yet. The initial estimate is that the damage is worth several million baht. Further detailed inspections are planned for the morning to collect complete information.
Sergeant Soracha added that the damage report will be submitted to superiors to request support personnel and equipment from nearby areas to expedite repairs. Currently, only partial power supply is available, with many areas still without electricity due to damaged equipment. The timeline for full power restoration is still unknown and depends on mobilizing sufficient repair crews.