SONGKHLA: About 100 workers were evacuated from their nearby accommodation after being exposed to ammonia leaking from a frozen food factory in Hat Yai district on Monday night.
The gas leak occurred about 10pm when the factory was closed and only mechanics on night duty were inside, officials said.
The ammonia leaked from the production line inside the factory and spread outside to nearby workers’ accommodation and neighbouring houses.
About 100 workers, most of them migrants from Myanmar, and some local residents were evacuated to a medical centre on Kanchanawanich road.
Medical teams and ambulances from the Songklanagarind Hospital in Hat Yai and Kho Hong Municipality were sent to the medical centre to provide care for people exposed to the ammonia. Those with more severe symptoms were were transferred to hospitals in Hat Yai town.
Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.