Fire ravages factory at Bang Pa-in

Fire ravages factory at Bang Pa-in

A huge fire destroyed much of an electronics factory at an industrial estate in Ayutthaya's Bang Pa-in district, sending foul-smelling chemical smoke over the area on Monday morning, reports said.

Thick black smoke is seen at APCB Electronics Company in the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate.

More than 50 fire engines and crews were dispatched to fight the blaze  at the  APCB Electronics Company in the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate. 

The factory produces electronic circuits and electronic parts and is a large-scale Thai, Taiwanese and Chinese joint venture.

There were more than 900 workers inside the factory when the fire broke out about 11.30am.  They ran for their lives on hearing the fire alarm.  

The blaze started on the third floor of the building,  where chemical solutions for cleaning electronic circuits and electronic parts were stored.

The height of the building posed problems for fightfighters, who also faced dangers posed by the large quantity of chemicals stored on the third and fourth floors, and the thick, foul-smelling chemical smoke that spread over the area.

Provincial governor Apichart Todilokvej told companies inside the industrial estate to stop operations and allow their workers to go home.

People living in communities around the industrial estate were told to prepare for evacuation if necessary.

By 2.30pm, the fire was partly under control, officials said.

The damage had not been assessed, but was believed to be huge.

Workers who fled from the factory said they heard what appeared to be explosions on the third floor, followed by a fire which quickly spread to the fourth floor.

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