The bodies of workers and others killed by an explosion at a fireworks factory in Muang district of Suphan Buri province are being transported to a nearby temple for the identification process.
Ambulances on Thursday continued transporting the bodies from the factory in tambon Salakhao to Wat Rong Chang, also in the same tambon. Autopsists at the temple will verify their identities before handing them over to their family members for religious ceremonies.
As of Thursday morning, the death toll from the explosion stood at 23, including seven women and 16 men, according to the Public Health Ministry. The figure could rise as the exact number of workers and individuals present at the factory during the blast remains uncertain. The owner survived as he was delivering the product to customers.
The explosion occurred at 3.30pm, spreading debris in a radius of 100 metres, and a loud sound was heard about a kilometre away from the scene.
Wat Rong Chang has been designated as the centre to assist the families of the dead victims. Officials and rescue workers have entered the factory to search for possible victims, collect evidence for the autopsy process and try to determine the exact cause of the blast.
Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin wanted a swift investigation into the reasons for the blast while calling for better control measures to prevent future mishaps.
This combination of pictures created on Thursday shows (top) a fireworks factory in Suphan Buri before the deadly blast and (bottom) the site after the explosion. (Photo: Disaster Response Association of Thailand)
Records show there were 24 explosions at fireworks factories and warehouses over the 15 years between 2008 and 2023, with each incident causing extensive damage including many deaths and injuries.
Many illegal fireworks factories and warehouses that lack standards are located in different communities throughout Thailand, according to Sonthi Kotchawat, an environmental and health expert.
After a tragedy in July 2023 in Narathiwat in which 11 people were killed and 389 injured, Mr Sonthi said the failure by the relevant agencies to form partnerships to proactively address this problem was clear.
According to Mr Sonthi, a fireworks factory or warehouse that meets the standards must include a "bubble zone" – with a fence set up at least 20 meters from its building – and have a reserved area that prevents any community from getting into its 100- to 500-metre radius depending on the quantity of fireworks in the factory.