A fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand exploded, killing at least nine people and damaging several surrounding homes.
"A fireworks warehouse in Sungai Kolok town exploded this afternoon. The latest figures are nine people killed and 115 injured," Sanan Pongaksorn, governor of southern Narathiwat province, said on July 29. "The fire has been brought under control. Preliminary investigation results show that there was a technical error during the welding repair process."
Images on social media showed a large plume of smoke rising from the scene, with nearby homes, shops and vehicles damaged by the force of the explosion, some with their roofs blown off. The warehouse was completely destroyed.
The Bangkok Post reported that Thailand's Interior Ministry estimated that up to 200 houses in Sungai Kolok were affected.
Smoke rises from the scene of a fireworks warehouse explosion in Thailand on July 29. Video : Reuters
"I was scrolling through my phone when I heard a loud, booming sound and the house shook," said Seksan Taesen, who lives 100 metres from the fireworks warehouse. "Then the roof of my house was blown off. I looked outside and saw people lying on the ground. It was chaos."
Accidents at fireworks factories are not uncommon in Thailand. The incident comes just five days after a fireworks factory exploded in the northern city of Chiang Mai, injuring 11 people.
Thai police and firefighters at the scene of a fireworks warehouse explosion in Narathiwat province on July 29. Photo: AFP
Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Reuters )
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