TORRENTIAL RAIN this afternoon (Sept. 5) led to several power poles being knocked down causing live wires to dangle over Si Ayutthaya road from Wat Benchamabophit intersection to the Royal Plaza where Equestrian Statue of King Rama V is located and this road is now closed till tomorrow while repairs are made, Thai Rath newspaper reported.
At 12.30 p.m. today Pol. Maj. Prasit Khaoprasert, a traffic inspector at Dusit police station, rushed to check the toppled power poles that had led to a blackout in a part of this area of Bangkok after alerting the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to send in repair teams.
Mr. Dicha Kongsri, director of Dusit district office, said a preliminary check showed that 2 eight-metre power poles had snapped as had 7 other twelve-metre poles taking the total nine. This had also led to live wires loosening and dangling over parts of the road necessitating its closure till tomorrow.
The humidity in the ground had caused a hundred-year-old tamarind tree at the fence Wat Benchamabophit to completely uproot and with the roots showing above ground. Its branches had hooked on to adjacent power poles pulling them down too as it fell.
More power poles had snapped in front of Chitralada Technology Institute and Bangkok Metropolitan Authority’s Best unit was called to remove the big tree.
However it was found that the surrounding community was not affected with there being a blackout at some government offices in Suea Pa area.
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority has said that it should complete the repairs by tomorrow with the road to be open to normal traffic after this work is done.
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Top: The toppled power poles and uprooted tree along Si Ayutthaya road today. Photos: Thai Rath
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