SAMUT PRAKAN: Five workers were injured, three seriously, by an explosion and fire at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) filling plant in Bang Sao Thong district early on Tuesday.
The explosion caused major damage to the plant and also to cars and motorcycles parked in the area.
Pol Capt Prasit Kanchanasorn, Bang Sao Thong duty officer, said the explosion occurred about 12.20am at the LPG cylinder filling factory of VIP Petroleum at Moo 11 village in tambon Bang Sao Thong.
Fire engines from the Bang Sao Thong tambon administration organisation along with rescuers from the Por Teck Tung Foundation, and police, were rushed to the scene.
The refilling plant building, cars, motorcycles and stacked car tyres were burning fiercely when they arrived. The smell of LPG permeated the air.
Police cleared the area and evacuated people to allow firefighters to combat the flames. The fire was brought under control in about an hour after all LPG valves were closed.
Five workers, all from Myanmar, were injured. Three of them sustained serious burns. They were given first-aid before being taken to hospitals - one each to Bang Sao Thong, Chularat and Bang Na hospitals and two to Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute.
Employee Anuchit Jaidee, 42, said the explosion occurred while the 30 Thai and migrant workers were asleep in their rooms after completing their 8am-5pm shift.
Woken by the explosion, they rushed outside and saw the entire refilling plant in flames. They fled for their lives. It was not clear how the five workers were injured.
The explosion was heard several kilometres away, witnesses said.
Pol Capt Prasit Kanchanasorn, an investigator, said the plant is owned by Vadarat Kiratipakdipong, 51, and has been in operation for about 10 years.
The factory area has been cordoned off for examination by forensic police to establish the cause of the explosion. The damage was still being assessed.