Five people at a bus stop suffered mild chemical burns yesterday when a bus knocked over a bottle of chemical substance on the street causing it to burst, police said.
Ubonrat Ounkhamruen, one of five people injured by a chemical spill, shows her damaged clothes. She also has burns to her legs and left arm. The spill was caused when a bus knocked over a bottle of caustic soda on Phetkasem Road, causing the bottle to explode. Chanat Katanyu
The incident took place at the bus stop in front of Phetkasem soi 25/1 on outbound Phetkasem Road where about 10 people were waiting for the buses.
As the bus No.84 was leaving the bus stop, it ran over the bottle, causing it to explode. The chemical inside splashed the waiting passengers. Five of them suffered burns and were taken to hospital.
Two of them were allowed to go home after receiving treatment while the others — Sitthisak Techasarin, 60, Ubonrat Ounkhamruen, 38, and Kwanta Khonsue, 37 — were asked to stay on for close observation.
Mr Sitthisak said he saw the bus run over the bottle, and seconds later he felt his face and arms burning.
Pol Maj Plat Taptim, an inspector at Phasi Charoen station, said the liquid in the bottle was likely to be caustic soda and it might have fallen from a moving vehicle.
Caustic soda is widely used in industrial processes and is also a domestic drain cleaning agent. It is corrosive and may cause serious chemical burns to skin, soft tissue and eyes.
Pol Maj Plat said police would question the injured. They could use the statements to claim compensation from insurance companies or the Social Security Office.