At least 23 killed in explosion at fireworks factory in Thailand

Bangkok, Jan 17 (EFE).- At least 23 people were killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in central Thailand on Wednesday, emergency services reported.

The factory, located among rice fields in a sparsely populated rural area in Suphan Buri province, about 120 kilometers north of Bangkok, was completely destroyed by the explosion.

The blast occurred around 3:30pm and spread debris dozens of meters around, according to images posted on Facebook by the road rescue association Samaner Kaeo.

Public broadcaster Thai PBS reported that at least 23 people were killed by the blast, while seven others were seriously injured.

According to the Samaner Kaeo, about 30 people were inside the factory at the time of the explosion.

Rescue teams were searching the area for survivors and firefighters have already brought the flames under control.

Authorities were investigating the causes of the explosion.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his condolences to the victims from the Swiss city of Davos, where he is attending the World Economic Forum.

According to some local media, one person died and three were injured after a fire at the factory in November 2022.

Thailand has had several fatal accidents at pyrotechnics factories.

In July 2023, 10 people were killed and about 100 injured in an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in the southern town of Sungai Kolok, near the Malaysian border. EFE

nc-igc/ks