More than 130 people injured, extensive damage to shops and houses in border town
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 19:03
At least nine people were killed and more than 130 seriously injured when fireworks exploded at a godown in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat on Saturday afternoon.
The incident took place at around 3pm at the godown of the Weerawat Panit shop in the Muno market in the district near the Malaysian border. The explosion caused extensive damage to the godown, the market and as many as 150 houses in the area, according to reports from the scene.
The explosion initially claimed four lives and injured 90 others, but as the full extent of the damage became known, the number of dead and injured began to rise.
Local media reported that an unknown number of people were trapped inside their houses and rescue workers were trying to help get them out.
Anirut Bua-on, the chief of Sungai Kolok district, coordinated with all tambons to send fire trucks and rescue teams to the scene.
The force of the blast badly damaged the Muno market, a hub for cross-border product trade in Sungai Kolok district.
Narathiwat governor Sanan Phong-aksorn later said nine people were killed, with 113 reported to be badly injured. Subsequent reports raised the number of injured to at least 130.
The cause of the explosion was being investigated.
The incident occurred just days after an explosion at a fireworks factory in Doi Saket district of Chiang Mai, where eight people were injured.
The provincial governor subsequently ordered inspections at all fireworks factories in the northern province to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
Rescue workers and local residents survey damage following a fireworks explosion at a godown in Sungai Kolok (Photo: Radio Thailand Sungai Kolok Facebook)