Storm Topples Power Pole, Strands University Student for 3 Hours

NONTHABURI — On February 17, 2026, rescue workers used a crane to lift a university student across a canal after he was stranded for about three hours when a power pole collapsed onto a motorcycle shelter during a storm in Nonthaburi. Heavy rain and strong winds ravaged parts of the province from the evening of February 17, toppling trees and power poles, blowing down billboards and damaging a shopping mall wall, particularly in Mueang Nonthaburi and Pak Kret districts. At around 19:30, rescue workers were alerted to a power pole that had fallen onto a motorcycle parking shelter inside the Ministry of Public Health compound, near Srithanya Hospital's entrance on Tiwanon Road. Metropolitan Electricity Authority officials were called to cut the power supply. The stranded student, 20-year-old Lee, was found waiting anxiously beside the shelter after calling for help. Rescuers noted that live wires blocking the shelter made it too dangerous for him to walk out, and wading through the canal was risky due to potential electrical leakage. Using a small crane, a rescuer was sent across the canal on a sling to retrieve the student safely. Lee explained he had been stuck since around 19:00, having taken the MRT to collect his motorcycle during the intensifying storm. When the power pole crashed onto the shelter's roof, he remained cautious about potential electrical hazards and called rescue services.