Eleven workers were injured, three seriously, when a boiler exploded at an animal feed factory in Samut Prakan’s Phra Samut Chedi district on Thursday afternoon, police said.
One of the 11 injured workers at Laem Thong Corp's factory in Samut Prakan waits to be taken to hospital. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
The explosion occurred about 12.30pm at Laem Thong Corporation factory in tambon Pak Klong Bang Pla Khod in Phra Samut Chedi district, said Pol Lt Sao Bamrungphum, duty officer at Phra Samut Chedi police station.
The large boiler used for preparing animal feed exploded on the fourth floor of the six-storey factory. More than 500 employees were at work at the time and most ran out of the building in panic.
Eleven workers sustained burns, three seriously. Rescue workers rushed the injured to a nearby hospital.
The explosion damaged large areas of the fourth and fifth floors of the building, which is located on a 10 rai block of land. A 10-wheel truck was also damaged.
Theppakorn Wongpeng, 20, a worker, said he and his friends were having lunch when they heard a loud bang on the fourth floor. They immediately ran outside and saw that the building was damaged and several workers had sustained burns.
Police are investigating. Damage was initially estimated at 150 million baht.