Twenty-three people were killed after an explosion at a pyrotechnic factory in central Thailand, a local official said Wednesday. The accident comes a few months after a similar tragedy in the kingdom, regularly accused of laxity on safety rules.
“We have received information […] confirming 23 deaths, and no injuries,” said Suphanburi provincial governor Nattapat Suwanprateep. An operation is underway to clean the site of dangerous substances, he said.
Site razed by the blast of the explosion
The explosion took place around 3 p.m. (8 a.m. GMT) in Sala Khao, in Suphanburi province, about 100 kilometers north of the capital Bangkok. Images released by rescuers show the site razed by the blast of the explosion, where only some debris remains, in the middle of rice fields.
The location of the factory, far from homes, limited material damage in the surrounding area according to initial findings. “Windows of a neighboring house were hit by the explosion but there was no other damage reported,” said Nattapat Suwanprateep.
Suspicions surrounding non-compliance with safety standards
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered an investigation into whether the factory was operating legally or not, as well as the cause of the explosion, according to a statement released by her team. The leader, traveling to Davos (Switzerland) for the World Economic Forum, also expressed his condolences to the families concerned.
In Thailand, strong suspicions persist around the non-compliance with basic safety standards, the cause of several deadly tragedies in recent years. A similar event occurred last July in the town of Sungai Kolok (south), where an explosion in a fireworks warehouse killed around ten people. A few weeks earlier, an explosion at a fireworks factory injured around ten people in Chiang Mai (north).
The country, home to a strong Chinese community, is preparing for celebrations for the Lunar New Year in February.