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A helicopter fights the flames on the premises of a Thai plastic foam factory
Photo: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP
There was a huge explosion in a chemical plant in Thailand.
Around 60 people were injured in the accident, including around a dozen firefighters, reported the Bangkok Post newspaper, citing the authorities.
A young firefighter was killed in the extinguishing work.
The factory in Samut Prakan on the southeastern outskirts of Bangkok made plastic foam.
The cause of the explosion is still unclear.
Serious damage is said to have occurred in the surrounding residential areas.
The fire brigade was only able to bring the subsequent major fire largely under control in the early morning.
Thick black smoke over Bangkok
Thick black smoke continued to rise and was visible in the Bangkok metropolitan area.
The authorities ordered residents within a five-kilometer radius to be brought to safety immediately, as further explosions were feared.
It said about 50 tons of chemicals were stored in five or six warehouses on the premises of the Taiwan-based Ming Dih Chemical Company factory.
The facility in Bang Phli District is close to the major Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
lmd / dpa