A truck carrying lithium batteries caught fire on Theparat Road (Bangna-Trad) at kilometer 40. Authorities have closed the main traffic lane, while the left lane of the inbound Burapha Withi Expressway above is also closed pending damage assessment, causing heavy traffic congestion.
At 19:30 on 3 May 2026, Police Lieutenant Colonel Yutthapong Warasat, deputy investigation officer of Bang Pakong Police Station, Chachoengsao Province, along with eight fire trucks from Bang Wua Kanarak Municipality and nearby areas, responded to a fire on a truck on Theparat Road (Bangna-Trad) at km 40, inbound express lane towards Bangkok in Moo 6, Bang Wua Subdistrict, Bang Pakong District. They found a white Isuzu 10-wheel truck registered in Nakhon Pathom engulfed in intense flames rising above the Burapha Withi Expressway, causing severe damage to the expressway structure. The fire caused continuous explosions. Firefighters tried extinguishing it with water, which was ineffective, and then with foam, but that also failed.
The truck driver reported he did not know the details of the cargo, as his role was only to drive. Before the fire broke out, flames spread rapidly, forcing him to flee the vehicle to save his life.
Firefighters later confirmed the burning material was lithium batteries. Traffic police from Bang Pakong Police Station closed the inbound expressway lane towards Bangkok as a precaution.
Around 23:30 last night, engineers from the Burapha Withi Expressway team brought a crane bucket to inspect the damage and chipped away all the fire-damaged concrete, a process that took until nearly dawn. The expressway at km 40 on Theparat Road (Bangna-Trad), inbound express lane to Bangkok, remains closed for safety reasons.
Additionally, the Burapha Withi Expressway's left lane at the incident site remains closed. Today, structural inspections will be conducted on the expressway, and forensic teams will examine the burnt material area to proceed with legal action against the driver.
It was recently reported that smoke is still rising from the pile of lithium batteries on the road. Firefighters from Bang Wua Kanarak Municipality arrived to spray water to cool the area and prevent the fire from reigniting.