One person has died and four have been injured after an explosion at a chemical plant this Thursday, May 9, in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, causing a fire and the evacuation of the population in the area.
The deceased is an employee of the plant, the parent company, Siam Cement Group (SCG), said in a statement, which regrets the loss and reports that the injured have been taken to hospital and are under medical care.
The explosion occurred around 10:45 local time (GMT+7) in a pyrolysis gasoline tank at an SCG chemical plant in the Map Ta Phut industrial park in eastern Thailand’s Rayong province, causing a fire that is now “under control”, according to the company, although it has not yet been extinguished, according to live images.
The company also indicates that it is trying to find the cause of the explosion.
Pyrolysis is usually used to transform solid waste into energy, and according to environmental agencies it generates toxic and polluting substances.
“The company apologizes for the incident and we will do everything possible to control the situation taking into account community safety and the impact on the environment,” the SCG statement said.
The text adds that it will report on “progress” in the situation “as soon as possible” and that it is carrying out an assessment of the damage.
According to the Thai public media PBS, businesses in the area have had to close and the population of surrounding areas has been evacuated, including all employees of the plant, with numerous fire vehicles transported to the scene of the incident to put out the fire.
The Industrial Authority of Thailand (IEAT) ordered the temporary closure of the entire terminal, while access to it has been blocked.
