Chachoengsao: Police order inspection of documents related to the transportation of hazardous materials, preparing to prosecute the driver - and are questioning whether the lithium battery remnants were stored safely. Pol. Maj. Gen. Kriengkrai Boonsoon, Commander of Chachoengsao Provincial Police, along with forensic investigators and related agencies, inspected the scene of a fire that occurred involving a ten-wheel truck on Thep Ratana (Bangna-Trat) Road, kilometer 40. The fire spread to the Burapha Vithee Expressway, causing significant damage to the expressway itself. Initially, forensic investigators collected samples of the burnt material, which was found to be a lithium battery. This battery is prone to reigniting if subjected to accumulated heat or impact.
According to Thai News Agency, the commander of the Chachoengsao Provincial Police revealed that it is now known that the 10-wheel truck was carrying hazardous materials when the incident occurred. Investigators are urgently examining the transportation documents. Whether it is correct or not, if there is no supporting documentation, legal action can be taken immediately. Currently, preparations are underway to search the factory in Amphoe Plaeng Yao, Chachoengsao Province, which is the origin of the transportation. Instructions have also been given to store the seized items properly, by coordinating with 6-wheel trucks from the Bang Wua Khanarak Subdistrict Municipality and private companies to help transport the lithium battery carcasses to be stored at the factory in Amphoe Plaeng Yao.
However, reporters stated that after the pile of lithium battery waste was removed, officials used water from fire trucks to clean the road surface. Observations revealed the water was black and some black, lumpy fragments of lithium batteries were flowing into the roadside ditches, grass, and drainage pipes. This raised concerns about improper disposal of hazardous material and its potential impact on the ecosystem and public health in nearby areas.
Yesterday, after the incident, Mr. Nopparat Nakprathap, 55, the driver of the 10-wheel truck involved, stated that he did not know what he was transporting. His only job was to drive the truck, which was being transported from Plaeng Yao to Samut Sakhon. He said that when the fire broke out, a motorcyclist riding alongside him warned him before he stopped the truck and found it engulfed in flames. When officials arrived, they discovered that the cargo consisted of lithium batteries, making water ineffective in extinguishing the fire. The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) has announced that the Burapha Vithee Expressway is now open for normal use. An inspection of the damage revealed spalling and chipping of the concrete surface. However, the overall concrete structure remains stable and shows no signs of deformation or warping. EXAT completed the spalling of the damaged concrete sections by 5:00 AM, and the expressway is now open for normal service.