Phuket man escapes major harm as car collides with electricity pole

A Thai man narrowly avoided significant harm when his car collided with an electricity pole and subsequently caught fire in the early hours of this morning in Phuket Town.

Phuket City Police received notification of the accident, which occurred close to the juncture of Phang Nga Road and Surin Road, at 1.55am today, April 19. On arrival at the scene, law enforcement and emergency services discovered a black Toyota Altis, registered in Bangkok, that had crashed into the power pole.

The collision had caused a substantial fire in the engine compartment, with flames extending more than a metre from the vehicle. Security personnel from a nearby Shell petrol station had acted promptly, using fire extinguishers to control the blaze. Their swift response prevented the further spread of the fire, though the car had already suffered significant damage.

Firefighters from the Phuket City Municipality branch of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) arrived shortly after and took 20 minutes to completely extinguish the fire.

The driver, Thanin Khumban, sustained only minor injuries in the accident. He received immediate first aid at the scene before being transported to Phuket City Police Station for further questioning as the investigation into the accident continues, reported Phuket News.

In related news, Phuket’s Seven Days safety campaign for Songkran 2024 revealed the island remained free of any road fatalities since the start of the initiative on April 11. Over the past four days, 39 incidents have been recorded by officials, resulting in the same number of people being hospitalised due to injuries.

The report compiled by the Phuket branch of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM Phuket) revealed that on April 15, the campaign’s fifth day, nine accidents occurred across the island, leading to nine injuries. The breakdown of these incidents indicates two accidents each in Mueang District and Thalang District, with one individual injured in each, and six accidents in Kathu District, injuring six people.

The DDPM Phuket’s report also provides a demographic insight into the victims of these accidents, showing that 23 of the injured are Thai nationals, 11 are from Myanmar, and five have been categorised as foreigners.