A fire broke out on drainage pipes under a bridge in Thailand as the country's notoriously dangerous infrastructure came into question following a succession of deadly incidents.

Footage shows the flames burning through polyethylene (PE) pipes on a pier of the Bhumibol Bridge 2 in Samut Prakan province.

The fire reportedly originated from a pile of rubbish at the base of a pillar before igniting the combustible drainage pipes, on the evening of January 15.

Footage shows the blaze burning beneath the motorway elevated some 131 feet above ground.

Firefighters arrived to the scene, but they later had to deploy a firetruck crane as the flames were too high to be extinguished by standard trucks.

Authorities said the fire had only damaged the pipes, and the bridge remained open to motorists.

Deputy Phra Pradaeng district chief Prin Jawathiyakul said: 'The fire started at the base of the pier, most likely from a spark. It spread by igniting the PE pipes, which are used to drain water from the bridge to the ground below. Thanks to the quick response from the Pu Saming Phrai Municipality and firefighters, we were able to put out the fire successfully.'

Rewat Sukkham, director of the Industrial Ring Road Division of the Department of Rural Highways, added: 'The exact cause will require further investigation. Regarding the safety of the structure, a visual assessment revealed no significant impact. However, a detailed inspection by experts will be conducted.'

The fire came just days after a crane working on a high-speed rail line collapsed onto the existing tracks below, killing 32 passengers and injuring dozens more in Nakhon Ratchasima province on January 14.

Just a day later in Samut Sakhon on the outskirts of Bangkok, a near-identical crane that was working on a motorway dropped onto the road below and killed two drivers.

The company responsible, Italian-Thai Development Plc, had all of its projects halted while the government began an investiagtion.