Jet fuel spill in Khon Kaen prompts emergency response
A collision involving an 18-wheel truck and a truck carrying 48,000 litres of jet fuel occurred in Khon Kaen province. Emergency services yesterday, March 17, worked to transfer the highly flammable fuel, which is three times more volatile than petrol, to prevent any ignition.
The incident took place on a bypass road in Khon Kaen’s Mueang district, specifically between Ban Non Rueang and Ban Nong Lup.
The 18-wheel truck, registered in Maha Sarakham with the plate number 70-7744, suffered severe front-end damage, resulting in injuries to the driver.
The injured driver was transported by emergency responders to Bangkok Hospital Khon Kaen. This vehicle collided with another 18-wheel truck carrying jet fuel, registered in Chon Buri with the plate number 74-7419, leading to a fuel leak from the rear valve area of the tanker.
In response to the accident, fire trucks from the Ban Khor subdistrict municipality, Samran subdistrict municipality, and Sila City municipality, along with a foam tanker from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Zone 6 in Khon Kaen, were deployed to the scene.
Their presence aimed to mitigate the risk of heat and sparks, given the jet fuel’s high flammability. The fuel was being transported from an oil depot in Nam Phong district, Khon Kaen, to Rayong province.
As a precaution, the Royal Thai Highway Police in Khon Kaen, along with officers from the Veluwan Police Station, closed the traffic road to prevent any potential ignition sources.
The public was advised against slowing down to view the incident, smoking, or using mobile phones in the area to avoid any sparks, as such an occurrence could result in an explosion with a radius exceeding 3 kilometres.
The transport company involved dispatched another truck to facilitate the transfer of fuel from the damaged vehicle. Experts in fuel handling from the Khon Kaen petroleum depot supervised the transfer process, reported KhaoSod.
Due to safety concerns and to reduce the risk of sparks, the bypass road from Ban Non Rueang intersection to Ban Pet was closed. The entire transfer operation was expected to take approximately three hours to complete.
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