2023-07-30 08:34:34
Footage broadcast by local media showed a plume of smoke billowing into the air, while several shops, homes and vehicles were severely damaged by the explosion, some of which caught fire and the roofs of others were smashed.
The death toll from a powerful explosion that destroyed an unauthorized fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand rose to at least 10 Sunday, the local governor said, as police summoned the owner for negligence.
It is believed that the explosion, which occurred on Saturday afternoon in the town of Sungai Kolok, was caused by welding during construction work on a building that illegally stored fireworks.
More than 100 people were injured in the blast, while local media reported that hundreds of homes were seriously damaged.
“We have identified 10 people and found body parts from two bodies that we have not been able to identify yet,” Narathiwat Governor Sanan Pongaksorn said at a press conference on Sunday.
Police said they are investigating the cause of the explosion in the building, expressing their belief that it was not licensed to store fireworks.
Narathiwat police chief, Major General Chalermpur Khamkheo, said that explosives had been transported to the scene prior to the blast.
“We are investigating whether these fireworks were transported legally or illegally,” he added.
Footage broadcast by local media showed a plume of smoke billowing into the air, while several shops, homes and vehicles were severely damaged by the blast, some of which caught fire and the roofs of others were destroyed.
And the Thai Broadcasting Corporation “BBS” reported that about 500 homes were damaged due to the explosion, which occurred in a town on the border with Malaysia.
“I was busy with my phone inside the house, and suddenly I heard a loud noise and my whole house shook,” eyewitness Cexan Taysen, who lives 100 meters from the warehouse, told AFP.
He revealed that the roof of his house had blown off, adding, “I looked outside and saw a house collapsed and people lying on the ground everywhere. There was chaos.”
Video footage taken by Seksan showed a scene of unrest at a local market, as residents were dazed as emergency services rushed to the scene.
Thailand has a rather poor safety record in the construction sector, and fatal accidents are common. Last month, two people were killed when a bridge under construction collapsed in Bangkok.
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