Cables catch on fire at Asoke-Petchburi intersection, traffic lights go dark (VIDEO)

Like other forests, Bangkok’s cabling require regular regenerative burning. Photo: Metropolitan Electricity Authority
Like other forests, Bangkok’s cabling require regular regenerative burning. Photo: Metropolitan Electricity Authority

Overhead power cables at Asoke-Petchburi caught on fire at 7:30am today, causing the traffic lights of a major intersection to temporarily go dark during rush hour.

The fire reportedly broke out near an exit at the MRT’s MRT Phetchaburi stop, leading to considerably worsened morning traffic, as police had to hit the streets and use hand signals to control traffic flow.

Photo: Metropolitan Electricity Authority

It took 30 minutes for officials to put out the fire. No injuries were reported.

By 11am, Electricity Authority had announced on Twitter that the power lines had been fixed. The fire was blamed on damaged cables, and they apologized for the inconvenience. 

While this seems to be a fairly rare case of power lines simply bursting into flames in our fair city, it’s worth mentioning that the city’s trademark tangle of cables have caught the attention of Bill Gates and plenty of other tourists, who happily snap messy wiring for their vacation photos.

 

Related:

A salute to Bangkok’s wonderfully hideous overhead cable art (PHOTOS)



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