A 48-tonne fruit lorry ploughs into roadside stalls in Prachin Buri, killing three women, including two sisters. Cars burn, electricity fails and six remain in hospital. CCTV captures the truck overturning as police investigate its cause on Friday the 13th.
Three women, including two sisters selling fried meatballs, were killed on Friday when a 48-tonne fruit lorry overturned and smashed into roadside stalls outside a Prachin Buri bank. The truck triggered a devastating 13-vehicle pile-up and fire, bringing down power lines and cutting electricity across the area. Six people remained hospitalised, including the seriously injured driver. Meanwhile, CCTV footage captured the truck’s final movements as police investigated possible brake failure and a damaged rear tyre. A rescue chief also raised concerns about the notorious highway bend. By Friday evening, the cause remained unknown as provincial authorities ordered a full investigation.
Three women were killed in a devastating highway disaster in Prachin Buri on Friday afternoon. A heavily loaded trailer truck overturned, ploughing into roadside traders and parked vehicles before catching fire.
The collision wrecked at least 11 other vehicles and brought down a high-voltage electricity pole. Two sisters selling fried meatballs were among the dead. Meanwhile, at least six people remained hospitalised as police investigated possible brake failure and a damaged rear tyre.
The disaster struck on November 13 along Highway 33, also known as Suwannasorn Road, in Prachantakham district. The truck overturned outside the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) branch in Moo 2, Prachantakham subdistrict.
Runaway fruit lorry overturns outside Prachin Buri bank, killing three women beside busy Highway 33
Police received the emergency report at approximately 1.50 pm, although other accounts placed the collision shortly after 2 pm. Within moments, the four-lane highway was strewn with burning vehicles, fallen electricity cables and wreckage.
The articulated truck was carrying approximately 48 tonnes of longan fruit from Chanthaburi province towards Thailand’s northern border. Its intended destination was the Chiang Khong border crossing in Chiang Rai province, adjoining Laos.
However, the journey ended near a bend approaching Prachantakham market. The vehicle overturned while travelling from Kabin Buri towards Prachin Buri city. It then slid into roadside businesses and parked vehicles, killing three women working outside the bank.
Police identified the victims as Phimapsorn, 46, Duangta, 57, and Thawon, 60. Phimapsorn and Duangta were sisters from Kham Tanot subdistrict who operated a fried meatball stall. Thawon sold spectacles nearby and came from Sam Phan Ta subdistrict in Na Di district. All three died at the scene. Their surnames were not disclosed in the initial published reports.
The lorry driver was identified as Narathip, 38, from Kamphaeng Phet province. He suffered serious injuries and was rushed to hospital. Investigators subsequently began examining whether mechanical failure caused him to lose control. However, the cause remained undetermined on Friday evening. Police were also reviewing CCTV and dashcam footage showing the truck’s final movements before it overturned.
Fire crews confront burning truck and wrecked vehicles after deadly collision outside agricultural bank
Police Lieutenant Seri Suwanphet, Deputy Investigator at Prachantakham Police Station, received the initial emergency call. He immediately coordinated with firefighters, police officers and volunteer rescue organisations.
Emergency crews raced to the scene as flames spread through the wreckage. In parallel, reports of multiple casualties triggered a substantial rescue operation involving provincial authorities and local emergency services.
When officers arrived, the articulated truck was lying overturned in the middle of the four-lane highway. Both the tractor unit and trailer were engulfed in flames. The vehicle carried Chiang Mai registration plates, numbered 71-3129 and 71-2616 respectively. Nearby, ten cars and one motorcycle had suffered extensive damage. Several were burning after the truck swept through the roadside trading area.
Initial accounts placed the overall number of vehicles involved at 13. Separately, one detailed report identified 11 other damaged vehicles, comprising ten cars and one motorcycle. The truck itself lay across the highway, blocking traffic as firefighters battled the blaze.
Rescue workers searched the wrecked vehicles and nearby stalls for casualties while police secured the accident scene.
Fallen power pole cuts electricity as Prachin Buri crash leaves six people receiving hospital treatment
The impact also smashed into a high-voltage electricity pole, bringing it down beside the road. Electrical cables fell across the wreckage as flames and thick smoke spread among the damaged vehicles.
Consequently, electricity supplies failed across the surrounding area. Firefighters deployed water to extinguish the burning vehicles while rescue personnel worked among the debris and roadside stalls.
The power failure quickly disrupted public services beyond the immediate crash scene. Prachantakham district authorities suspended registration services and other computer-dependent administrative work. Officials were forced to await restoration of electricity before normal operations could resume. At the same time, emergency teams continued clearing debris from the highway as police restricted traffic through the area.
Initial reports suggested between seven and nine people had been injured. However, provincial road safety authorities subsequently confirmed six people were receiving hospital treatment. The patients comprised three men and three women. The difference between the initial casualty figures and the official evening statement was not immediately explained.
Eight casualties named in early reports as witnesses describe screeching brakes and flames outside bank
One detailed emergency report identified eight injured people, including the lorry driver. Two suffered serious injuries. They were Narathip, 38, and Chutiya, 51. In addition, Mayuree, 50, and two unidentified casualties were reported to have sustained moderate injuries.
Three others, Paiboon, 54, Somjai, 55, and Suwannee, 53, suffered minor injuries. Emergency workers transported casualties to hospital while firefighters continued battling the blaze.
Witnesses described hearing the truck approaching before the collision. Supawan, a loan officer at the BAAC branch, heard screeching brakes from a distance. Moments later, a tremendous impact shook the area outside the bank. Then electricity cables fell as a utility pole collapsed. Flames spread among the damaged vehicles, sending thick smoke into the air.
Supawan gathered her belongings and rushed outside after hearing the collision. She subsequently recorded video footage of the destruction. By then, the roadside area was filled with wrecked vehicles, fallen electricity cables and burning debris. Emergency crews began arriving as the scale of the disaster became apparent.
Bank witnesses describe impact as investigators examine 48-tonne cargo and possible brake failure
Another witness, local administrative official Suchat Dechsupha, was standing at an automated teller machine when the truck struck. He moved towards the machine for protection as the collision unfolded.
The crash occurred immediately outside the bank, where customers and roadside traders were present. Several vehicles were parked along the highway when the lorry overturned.
A customer inside the bank also heard the approaching truck before the impact. The witness described an electrical transformer failure followed by fire. As a result, the collision created a second emergency involving damaged electricity infrastructure. Firefighters faced burning vehicles and fallen power lines while rescue personnel searched for injured people.
The truck had been travelling from Kabin Buri district towards Prachin Buri city. Its route followed Highway 33 towards a bend near the local market. Investigators established that the vehicle was carrying a substantial consignment of longan fruit intended for export through northern Thailand. The cargo reportedly weighed approximately 48 tonnes.
However, the available reports did not establish the vehicle’s permitted maximum weight or whether the consignment exceeded legal loading limits. Police had announced no finding concerning the cargo’s weight by Friday evening.
Instead, the initial investigation concentrated on a possible braking-system malfunction. Officers sought to establish why the driver lost control before reaching the bend.
CCTV shows lorry overturning and sliding into roadside stalls as police investigate damaged rear tyre
Early reports suggested the driver might have been unable to slow the truck before the collision. The vehicle subsequently overturned and crashed into roadside traffic and traders. Nevertheless, investigators had not confirmed that the brakes failed. Neither had they established whether the truck’s load contributed to the disaster.
CCTV and dashcam footage later provided further evidence of the truck’s final movements. The vehicle appeared to be travelling at considerable speed before leaning towards its left side. It then overturned and slid towards vehicles parked beside the highway. The impact wrecked cars and roadside stalls before fire spread among the damaged vehicles.
Investigators also discovered damage consistent with a burst left rear tyre. Crucially, the available findings did not establish when the tyre failed. It remained unclear whether the damage occurred before or during the collision. Police continued examining the truck and available recordings to establish the sequence of events.
Officers sought CCTV footage from the BAAC branch to reconstruct the accident. The recordings were expected to establish the truck’s movements immediately before it overturned. Meanwhile, investigators arranged to question Narathip once his medical condition permitted. Police were also considering possible criminal charges, although no formal charging decision was confirmed.
Driver faces police questioning while dangerous highway bend comes under scrutiny after three deaths
The driver remained under medical treatment following the collision. Investigators intended to obtain his account of the journey and the truck’s mechanical condition. However, the precise cause remained undetermined. Police had not established whether brake failure, tyre damage or another factor caused the vehicle to overturn.
Attention also turned towards the highway itself. Rescue chief Banjerd Paiboon said the bend had previously been associated with serious road accidents. He raised concerns about its camber and potentially slippery conditions. Subsequently, he called for the Department of Highways to examine the location.
His comments introduced another issue for investigators examining the disaster. However, authorities had not established that road design or surface conditions contributed to Friday’s collision. Neither had they determined whether the truck’s speed or mechanical condition was responsible. The provincial investigation was expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the overturning.
The location was a commercial roadside area serving bank customers and local residents. Traders operated stalls beside the highway, while motorists parked near the BAAC branch. Consequently, the overturned truck struck an area occupied by vehicles, customers and roadside businesses. The three women who died were working at these stalls.
Two sisters among three dead as firefighters clear wrecked vehicles and officials take charge of response
Phimapsorn and Duangta were sisters selling fried meatballs from the same business. Meanwhile, Thawon operated a nearby spectacles stall.
All three were killed when the lorry crashed into the trading area. Their deaths accounted for the three fatalities confirmed by provincial authorities during Friday evening’s emergency briefing.
The collision left extensive damage along the highway. Vehicles were wrecked, electricity infrastructure was destroyed and traffic was disrupted. In response, firefighters continued working to extinguish the flames and secure the accident scene. Rescue personnel searched the damaged vehicles and attended to injured people as emergency operations continued.
Police restricted traffic while firefighters and rescue workers cleared the wreckage. The operation involved provincial government departments, local authorities and several volunteer organisations. Meanwhile, medical personnel coordinated treatment for the casualties. Workers also dealt with fallen electricity infrastructure and debris scattered across the highway.
At approximately 5.45 pm, Deputy Governor Sanya Namee arrived with Prachantakham District Chief Phairat Inpanya. Both inspected the damage and directed the continuing emergency response. Officials from the provincial road safety authorities also joined the operation as crews worked to restore traffic.
Rescue agencies battle fire and reopen one lane after deadly truck crash brings traffic to a standstill
The response involved Prachantakham Police Station, Pho Ngam Municipality and the Prachantakham Subdistrict Administrative Organisation. Personnel from the regional disaster prevention centre and provincial public health office also attended. Separately, the provincial transport office joined the coordinated response.
Medical and rescue support came from Prachantakham Hospital and several volunteer organisations. These included the Ruam Katanyu Foundation, Sawang Bampen Rescue Foundation and Sawang Sa Kaeo Rescue Foundation. Additional emergency personnel arrived from neighbouring local administrative organisations, including Dong Bang and Kham Tanot.
The agencies coordinated casualty treatment, firefighting, traffic management and removal of damaged vehicles. Workers also dealt with the fallen electricity pole and damaged power lines. As part of the operation, officials attempted to clear sufficient wreckage to restore limited traffic movement along the highway.
By 6.45 pm, Deputy Governor Sanya confirmed that firefighters had brought the blaze under control. Emergency teams had cleared enough wreckage to reopen one lane. However, the collision continued to disrupt traffic through Prachantakham as clearance operations remained under way.
Provincial authorities confirm three deaths, order full crash investigation and assistance for families
Sanya also confirmed three fatalities and six injured people receiving hospital treatment. The official statement followed earlier reports giving higher injury figures. Nevertheless, authorities announced no additional deaths during the evening update. The confirmed fatalities remained the three women working at roadside stalls outside the bank.
Acting Prachin Buri Governor Chanathip Khokmanee assigned Sanya and District Chief Phairat to oversee the response. The provincial road safety centre subsequently ordered relevant agencies to conduct a detailed investigation. Officials were instructed to establish the circumstances of the collision and identify corrective measures.
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The provincial authorities also ordered assistance for the families of those killed and injured. Support was to be expedited under existing government regulations. Meanwhile, investigators continued gathering evidence from the damaged truck, available video footage and the accident scene.
By Friday evening, police had not established whether brake failure, tyre damage, vehicle speed or road conditions caused the crash. The lorry driver remained injured, while investigators continued examining the evidence. Three women were dead, six hospital patients were confirmed, and the cause of the Prachin Buri disaster remained undetermined.
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