An explosion occurred in a plastic factory near Bangkok early Monday morning, leaving at least one dead and 27 injured according to authorities, as rescuers continued to evacuate residents out of fear in the early afternoon. of a new detonation.
The explosion occurred around 3 a.m. local (8 p.m. GMT Sunday) in the premises of a factory of the Taiwanese group Ming Dih Chemical Co, installed near the international airport of the Thai capital.
At midday, a large plume of black smoke continued to rise from the site, and was visible from downtown Bangkok, about 35 kilometers away.
"
We have 27 injured, mostly suffering from cuts, and one dead among the firefighters,
" said Somsak Kaewsena, the chief of the Bang Pli district where the plant is located.
So far, around 500 residents have been evacuated to two shelters, he added.
The origin of the explosion remains unknown
"
We ordered (the residents) to move away at least 500 meters from the site because we do not know if there is anything left that could explode,
" Police Lieutenant General Ampon Buarubporn told AFP. .
"
We have to wait for the fire to be brought under control
" to assess the damage, he added.
He said the cause of the explosion was still unknown.
At noon, some elderly residents in wheelchairs were evacuated to a school about 9 kilometers from the site of the explosion.
Rescuers roamed the neighborhood in their emergency vans, calling over thousands of residents to leave for their safety.
