At around 11:30 PM last night (April 17th), an explosion occurred at an ice factory located in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. The explosion caused chemical substances to spread over a distance of more than 1 kilometer. Following the incident, Mr. Weekit Manarodkij, the district chief of Bang Lamung, visited the site for inspection, accompanied by disaster prevention officials from Nong Prue Municipality and rescue personnel from Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya City.
Efforts were made to promptly evacuate workers from the area of the incident. Unrelated individuals and the public were prohibited from approaching the scene within a radius of more than 2 kilometers. Additionally, rescue points were established to transport injured local residents who were affected by inhaling chemical substances suspected to be ammonia, causing unconsciousness. Some individuals experienced eye and nasal irritation and received preliminary medical treatment before being transferred to hospitals.
According to inquiries made to residents in nearby areas, they heard a loud explosion in the middle of the night before a dense smoke cloud enveloped the vicinity, causing irritation to the eyes and nose. Some residents even lost consciousness, while others quickly fled the scene to seek assistance from authorities.
Preliminary reports indicate that over 40 have been injured in the incident, although the exact number remains uncertain. This uncertainty arises from the fact that, at the time of the incident, rescue personnel were unable to provide assistance to those injured inside the ice factory.
