Passengers were evacuated from Tao Poon MRT station in Bangkok after an electrical fire broke out on the tracks today, September 20, forcing a temporary service suspension and causing delays.
The Rama 9 radio centre received the first report at around 12.20pm after a fire was reported on the rail area near Tao Poon station on Pracharat Sai 2 Road in Bang Sue.
Bang Pho firefighters arrived shortly afterwards and found flames around electrical equipment on the tracks. By 12.43pm, crews had entered the station’s electrical control area with thermal imaging equipment and smoke extractors.
All passengers had been evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM) said an electrical system fault forced MRT services to be suspended between Bang O and Kamphaeng Phet stations, with passengers advised to use nearby stations. Some stations experienced delays of around 60 minutes.
Sparks from the fire also fell to street level, causing minor damage to one parked motorcycle.
The governor of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand said an initial assessment suggested unusually high moisture around the power rail during rainy conditions may have caused a short circuit.
A later inspection attributed the fire to an electrical control cabinet overheating and causing a short circuit, although officials continued examining the system to determine the exact cause.
At around 1.50pm, police and BEM staff inspected the third-rail cut-off system and walked along the affected tracks to assess the damage and investigate the cause.
Officials said the investigation would continue to establish what caused the fire and prevent a similar incident.
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The story Fire at Tao Poon MRT station disrupts Blue Line services as seen on Thaiger News.
