Hidden electrical fault causes boiling ground and shocks central Thai district

Jul 31, 2023

A mysterious plume of smoke erupting from the ground yesterday left locals in the Bang Chakreng district perplexed. Residents were especially alarmed when a frog leapt into view, only to be cooked alive in some boiling water on the path. Importantly, it wasn’t until staff at the Electricity Authority switched off the power that the reason for this unusual happening was discovered. Officials warn that this electrical fault situation was dangerously unstable.

On the day in question, police from the Mueang Samut Songkhram station, alongside fire personnel from the Municipality of Samut Songkhram, and volunteers from Sawangbenjathum Samut Songkhram Rescue Foundation, converged on a residential area in Soi Bang Chakreng 4, Mae Klong, to investigate the strange smoke. The residence belonged to 47 year old Wimonnart, who believed gas or chemicals seeping from the ground were the cause of the electrical fault.

As officials attempted to dig down into the smoking soil, water poured into the hole, rapidly heating and creating a boiling pool. A frog unintentionally jumped into this boiling water, immediately cooking to death. Officers moved with caution, fearing a dangerous escalation of the electrical fault event.

Wimonnart has lived in the house for over 20 years and claimed this is the first time to witness such an incident. After initial assessments resulted inconclusive, regional electricity officials from Samut Songkhram Province cut off the power supply, subsequently drying up the boiling water. Investigation revealed an electrical grounding wire had been buried in the area, reported KhaoSod.

Upon further inspection of the house, damaged walls revealed a main electric wire with bare copper touching a breaker box. This created a conduit for the electrical energy to flow into the buried grounding wire. The electrical fault situation could have been catastrophic, leading to house fires or even fatal electrocutions. Officials stress the need for an alert to be raised should anyone encounter something similar or they can call the regional electricity emergency number, 1129. Suriya Kanchanahiran, an electrical worker, said…

“The root cause was a damaged wall which exposed the main power wire causing the insulation to tear and copper wire to touch the metal breaker frame. This conduit led to the ground wire, which is buried in the area of the incident. It’s highly dangerous. If there is no grounded wire, this might have caused an electrical short circuit, a house fire or electrocution.”

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