Wheels on fire: Truck blowout sparks disaster in Nakhon Pathom

A 22-wheel truck carrying 30 tonnes of liquid glue experienced a tyre explosion, leading to a fierce fire on Phet Kasem Road. The driver narrowly escaped unharmed. The incident occurred yesterday, November 20, at 9pm.

Police from Nakhon Pathom City Police Station received a report of a blaze engulfing a 22-wheel truck at Phet Kasem Road in Lam Phaya subdistrict, Mueang district, Nakhon Pathom province. Upon receiving the alert, emergency responders from the Nakhon Pathom Municipality and the Suksa Nuhakarn Nakhon Pathom Foundation rushed to the scene to help extinguish the flames.

The burning vehicle was identified as an Isuzu truck with the registration number 70-2602 from Tak, with its trailer registered as 70-4684 from the same province. The fire was consuming the rear of the trailer, sending dense black smoke into the sky and a strong smell of burning permeated the area.

Traffic police closed the road to ensure the safety of other motorists. Firefighters from the Nakhon Pathom Municipality deployed water hoses to tackle the blaze, successfully extinguishing it within 10 minutes.

The truck, laden with 30 tonnes of liquid glue, was en route from Rayong province to Tha Maka district, Kanchanaburi province. Sukphat, the 60 year old driver, recounted that as he applied the brakes near the incident location, it felt as if the tyres were stuck to the road. This sensation was due to a tyre explosion, prompting him to suggest to his co-driver to stop the vehicle, reported KhaoSod.

Upon exiting the cab, they discovered sparks igniting at the rear of the trailer. Despite their efforts to extinguish the fire with small fire extinguishers, the blaze intensified rapidly. Realising the severity, they quickly contacted the police, who coordinated with fire services to control the situation.

The driver expressed relief at his narrow escape.

“I consider myself lucky to have survived and was able to get out of the vehicle without any injuries.”