Police ordered a recall of the body of the man who died in an explosion at Map Ta Phut Tank Terminal (MTT) in Rayong province for a thorough autopsy to determine the cause of death and whether it was from falling or other causes.
Nopporn Ruenma, 33, an employee at the MTT, fell from the top of a large chemical tank to the ground when the tank, located in an industrial park, exploded on May 9.
The fire spread to a nearby tank containing a C9+ hydrocarbon compound, a solvent for manufacturing plastic pellets, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the air.
The blaze was brought under control eight hours later.
Nopporn was pronounced dead. Five other people -- three employees and two firefighters -- were injured during the incident. The incident led to the shutdown of SCG Chemicals Plc, a petrochemical arm of Siam Cement Group (SCG) that owns the warehouse.
Residents were evacuated to a nearby community under the supervision of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) and a medical team from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Allied Health Sciences.
Nopporn's body was being transferred to his hometown in Chiang Rai, upon the request of his relatives, for a religious rite on Friday. The transfer of the body was halted by Rayong police, who asked that the body be brought back to the Police General Hospital for a post-mortem.
Pol Maj Gen Pongphan Wongmaneethet, chief of Rayong Provincial Police, said the examination must be carried out thoroughly by forensic experts.
If the body is already cremated, the verification process would be difficult, Pol Maj Gen Pongphan said.
Meanwhile, the medical team from the Industrial Estate Authority, National Health Security Office and Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Allied Health Sciences found many people affected by the incident had developed symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and red eyes. Some 224 people have undergone health screening.
Among them, 55 patients have been prescribed medication, 78 patients showed symptoms but required no medical treatment and 86 showed no signs of symptoms.