An 18-wheel gas tanker overturned on outbound Boromratchonnanee Road in Thawi Watthana district, Bangkok, early Friday morning blocking the route, which was not fully reopened until around noon.
The truck, carrying 30,000 litres of liquefied petroleum gas, hit a road sign and overturned near Boromratchonnanee 123 minor road in Sala Thammasop area about 5.45am. The truck's fuel tank ruptured and diesel leaked out and covered the road surface.
The overhead road sign the truck hit blocked the tank valve and delayed attempts to transfer the LPG to another truck. Police closed traffic on both inbound and outbound lanes of the road for safety and a big mobile crane was called in.
At one point, traffic jams stretched back several kilometres on both sides of the road. A mobile crane was finally able to lift and move the tanker about 10am and police reopened some lanes to traffic.
Kittisak Pruethong, the truck driver, was seriously injured. The vehicle belongs to KSM Logistics Co.
Emergency crews hosed down the tanker with water as a precaution against sparks starting a fire during the salvage operation. The gas was eventually transferred to another tanker.
The road fully reopened to traffic about noon.
Pol Col Samart Phromchart, chief of the local Thammasala police station, said the 45-year-old driver was delivering the gas from Bangchak area of Bangkok to Kanchanaburi province.
The tanker was running close to the traffic island. At the same time another truck and a bus were racing and one of them hit the tanker, according to Mr Kittisak.
Police would examine surveillance camera footage before deciding what charges to lay.