By THE NATION ON SUNDAY
Published on January 25, 2009

Train ploughs into deaf woman on level crossing
Poor visibility due to heavy fog yesterday morning caused a railway accident killing a Bangkok woman, a boat collision in Samut Prakan and the diversion of several flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Mueang Airport.

City residents woke up to the unusually foggy morning, which was blamed for the death of 88-year-old Nipha Chunhasiri, who was hit by a freight train and flung to the ground, cracking her skull. The accident occurred at 9am at a railway crossing on Phetchaburi Road.

The train-driver, Yongyuth Ruaysin, said he had not seen the woman because of thick fog so he had not been able to stop the train in time.

The victim's 55-year-old son Metha Chunhasiri said his mother was hearing-impaired so she had not heard the train's whistle.

Earlier in Samut Prakan's Phra Pradaeng district, a collision of two container ships and two barges took place at 6am on the Chao Phraya River, causing damage worth initially Bt20 million. Two crew members on one of the two barges that sank were slightly injured.

Police investigation found that the Golden Seaways container ship carrying fish from abroad had been on its way to Bangkok's Klong Toei Port when it collided amid thick fog with an empty container ship, the Kau Loong, which had departed the port for Chon Buri's Si Chang Island. The impact propelled the Kau Loong into the barges.

A crewmember of one barge, Amnat Sridokbua, 37, said he had heard a loud crash at 5.30am and tried to look through the thick fog to see what had happened. Seeing the container ship heading his way, he yelled out for five other crew members to abandon the barge, and they all narrowly escaped.

Police put the collision down to poor visibility due to the thick fog and will summon crew members later.
The fog also forced several flights to be diverted from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Mueang Airport because of poor visibility, airport officials said. The poor visibility also forced motorists on Sukhumvit, Ram Inthra and Srinakarin roads and those leading to Suvarnabhumi Airport to exercise extra caution.

Health Department chief Dr Narongsak Unkasuwapala yesterday said the fog was not harmful to health as it occurred due to the collision of hot and cold air in many areas, not from burning.

The Meteorological Department yesterday warned that the North, Central and Bangkok areas would have thick fog until Tuesday while the Northeast would see the mercury drop by 2-4 degrees and the East by 1-2 degrees. The lower South will have more rain and two-metre waves, it said.