A rainstorm felled about 40 power poles on Chalong Krung Road in Lat Krabang district of Bangkok on Friday evening, cutting off power and internet in the area.
The Lat Krabang district office said the incident happened around 5.30pm, affecting a two-kilometre stretch between sois 31 and 57 on Chalong Krung Road. Power poles were down on both sides of the road and it was completely impassable.
Police quoted eyewitnesses as saying that a violent, whirling wind passed through the area and felled the poles. Many houses lost their roofs. About 30 vehicles were also damaged, with at least two people reported trapped in their cars.
Witnesses said one sedan was crushed in the front by a fallen power pole and the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation, along with local residents, quickly brought cutting tools and rushed to provide assistance in the pouring rain.
Rescue workers provided first aid to three people at the scene before taking them to a nearby hospital. There were no reports of fatalities.
Metropolitan Electricity Authority crews were removing the toppled poles and power cables and racing to restore power as hundreds of homes and businesses were experiencing a blackout and internet disconnection.
