Residents who live near the factory that caught fire in the Bangkok metropolitan area this morning have been ordered to evacuate.
The Mingdih Chemical polystyrene factory in Soi King Kaew 21 of Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district caught fire at around 3am, injuring at least 60 people and killed one.
As of noon, a volunteer firefighter, later identified as 19-year-old Korasit Raopan, died at the scene.
Witnesses reported a massive explosion coming out of the area, where the fire has also damaged the roofs and broken the windows of nearby homes.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and Bang Phli district chief Somsak Kaewsena this morning ordered people living within a 5-km radius to evacuate from their homes.
Shopping mall IKEA Bangna, which is located within the 5-km radius, announced that it is closed at 4pm today.
In the afternoon, thick plumes of smoke continued to rise up into the sky, visible from many areas in Bangkok and its metropolitan areas. Two helicopters were deployed to drop fire retardant onto the site.
The factory belongs to polystyrene firm Ming Dih Group Corporation, which is headquartered in Taiwan. Residents living in the area were warned against inhaling the smoke.
#KingkaewFactoryFire became the top trending hashtag on Twitter in Thailand this morning.
แสงเพลิงเท่าเดิม อาสา จนท. ทำงานกันตลอด ใกล้มืดแล้วยิ่งทำงานลำบาก
ภาพ พี่หนึ่ง อาสา ป้อมพระจุล#ไฟไหม้โรงงานกิ่งแก้ว #โรงงานกิ่งแก้วไฟไหม้ pic.twitter.com/5uWLahh0Nb— BU (@aodbu) July 5, 2021
Photos and videos of the incident showed orange skies and thick smoke in the air while firefighters battled the blaze. The feed also showed smoke inhalation first-aid tips and instructions for residents living nearby to leave home safely, such as turning off electricity and bringing along drinking water.
At least three evacuation centers have been announced: The Phli Yai Subdistrict Administrative Organization and Triam Parinyanusorn School and Bang Phli Yai Nai Temple.
ใครอยู่ใกล้ๆระวังตัวด้วยนะ น่ากลัวมากๆ ขอให้ทุกคนปลอดภัยนะ
นี่อยู่ห่างจากที่เกิดเหตุไกลอยู่นะ แต่ยังรับรู้ถึงความสั่นสะเทือนตอนระเบิดเลย
เห้อประเทศเรา มีอะไรจะเกิดอีกไหม#โรงงานกิ่งแก้วไฟไหม้ pic.twitter.com/u3A7hbep3z— 240p (@jaygnight) July 4, 2021
https://twitter.com/digitalMonkee/status/1411863677523816451?s=20
https://twitter.com/_INTHEICE_/status/1411822976819884037
More pictures from the explosion at the factory last night in Samut Prakan.#โรงงานกิ่งแก้วไฟไหม้#ระเบิดกิ่งแก้ว#bangkok #news pic.twitter.com/hOzNKKiK9o
— SarahChanTH (@SarahChanTH1) July 5, 2021
This story will be updated without notice.
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