An explosion and fire at at the Map Ta Phut industrial estate in Rayong claimed the lives of 12 people and injured 129 on Saturday.
Deputy Public Health Minister Surawit Khonsomboon said of the 12 killed, nine died in the explosion at a factory owned by Bangkok Synthetics Co (BSC), two at Bangkok-Rayong Hospital and one at Rayong Hospital. Of the 129 injured, 99 had been released and 30 were still undergoing treatment, according to The Bangkok Post.
The factory had been closed for repairs before the devastating explosion and toluene is being blamed for the fire after being exposed to excessive heat.
Authorities have been accused of ignoring the safety of villagers living close to the industrial estate. Samai Srimuang, a 45-year-old soft drinks vendor was at a nearby market when the explosion occurred.
“No one knew what was happening, but vendors and shoppers fled the market in panic after seeing the thick black smoke,” she told Post, adding that she received an evacuation warning from local authorities at 7.30pm about four hours after the accident. Mrs Samai also went on to claim there had been many chemical leaks over the past years which had injured numerous people, but the incidents were minor so they did not make the news.
Industry Minister Pongsvas Svasti earlier admitted that the warning system at Map Ta Phut was flawed. Many people did not hear the warnings and the evacuation order through the community’s loudspeaker on the day of the explosions, he said.
Locals have called on the relevant agencies to install warning systems in communities around the industrial estate and to regularly conduct evacuation drills.
There are 25 communities in Map Ta Phut municipality with a combined population of 25,000 people.
The Ecological Alert and Recovery-Thailand (Earth), an NGO monitoring industrial pollution, accused the government of covering up the environmental and health impacts of the deadly chemical accident.
Yingluck Shinawatra travelled to Map Ta Phut on Sunday for talks, and visited victims of the explosion at the hospital.
Thousands of people living within close proximity of the factory were evacuated on Sunday.
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