RATCHABURI: Four people were injured during a gas leak explosion at a food shop in Muang district yesterday.
The explosion occurred at a shop on the ground floor of a three-storey commercial building opposite Boromrajonani College of Nursing Jakreerat, said Pol Maj Niphon Sornnarin, a duty officer at Muang station, who was alerted about 6.30am yesterday.
Firefighters rushed to the scene to contain the damage.
The force from the blast caused damage to the ground floor that housed the food shop and the upper floors where bedrooms were located. Windows and walls were blown out, with further damage incurred to six-row buildings and some cars.
Mana Iemchan, 50, owner of the food shop, suffered burns to his body and was rushed to Ratchaburi Hospital, said police. Pai Nak-iem, 77, Pongnapha Iemchan, 18, and a 14-year-old girl sustained injuries from broken glass.
Police say Mr Mana had gone downstairs from to open his food shop. When he switched on a light, a cooking gas cylinder exploded. The resulting blast injured him and the three people.
Police believed gas might have leaked during the night before the owner went downstairs. The explosion caused more than one million baht worth of damage, said police.