Falling Trees, Utility Pole Kill Motorist At Chit Lom

[Flashermac]

 

 

BANGKOK — Police are investigating what caused several large trees to fall on Soi Chit Lom, taking out an electrical pole which fell and killed a motorist Saturday morning.

 

Nitchapat Somjet, 25, was riding a motorbike when she was killed at about 9:30am by the falling utility pole. The pole was knocked down by several large trees next to to Central Chidlom collapsed. Two others were injured and taken for treatment at a hospital.

 

The street is currently closed due to the accident.

 

 

http://www.khaosoden...orist-chit-lom/

 

 

Notice the building with big glass windows in the second photo. My office was in there back in the late 1980s!

[bust]

Looks like a pretty health tree

[radioman]

Not enough lucky pots on Soi Chit Lom obviously

[Flashermac]

When I worked there, the soi was considerably narrower. It was also lined with trees on both side. Then the city widened the road, ripping up all the trees on the west side and not leaving much room for the trees on the other. That's also a newer and bigger Central on the corner. I wonder how much space the roots had left.

[bust]

If it's been dry the roots will seek moisture above ground reducing their stability.

[Flashermac]

It's been raining recently, but there was a long dry spell before that.

[bust]

And the rain softens the ground. Heavy rain after a long dry spell is often the cause.

[Flashermac]

A huge (in height) tree toppled on the campus of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce some years back. I'd taught a special class there on Saturday afternoon, and on Sunday the tree was found to be down. There had been heavy rain for several days, and the tree simply became top heavy, ripping the roots out of the ground. You could see how the ground around the roots was mostly mud. I liked what the uni did with it. They sawed it off about 15 feet from the roots and raised that section back upright. They braced it until the ground solidified around it, and the tree is still there - though noticeably shorter than the tree planted at the same time around three decades ago.

[Mekong]

If it's been dry the roots will seek moisture above ground reducing their stability.

 

Reminds me of when I am tipsy, if the drink is in front of me no problem as soon as stretch to get a drink from an adjacent table "Face Plant"

[Flashermac]

20-year-old tree ... The woman was stopped at a red light and the power pole landed on her.

 

 

 

 

Bangkok Post photo