A blast at a fireworks warehouse in a market in southern Thailand led to at least nine fatalities and over 115 injuries on Saturday.
The explosion occurred in Sungai Kolok, near the Malaysian border, at approximately 15:00 local time (09:00 BST), and is suspected to have been triggered by construction activities.
The fire that resulted from the blast in the market has now been contained, according to the local governor’s report to AFP.
Sanon Pongaksorn stated that initial investigations suggest that a “technical error” during steel welding was the cause of the explosion.
Footage released in local media showed a thick plume of smoke rising from the market. The explosion caused significant damage to many shops, houses, and vehicles, with some set ablaze, or their roofs blown off.
Seksan Taesen, a resident living 100m (330 ft) from the market, narrated his experience, saying that he was at home when he heard a “loud, thunderous noise and my whole house shook”. He added, “Then I saw my roof was wide open. I looked outside and saw houses collapsing and people lying on the ground everywhere. It was chaos”, as he relayed to AFP.
Thailand’s construction industry is known for its poor safety standards, with fatal accidents being a frequent occurrence.
Just last month, a road bridge under construction in Bangkok collapsed onto traffic, resulting in the death of two individuals.
