Helicopters fight flames from Bang Phli factory blast
Two KA-32 helicopters were still battling flames from an explosion at a foam factory in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district on Monday afternoon. The fire took hold after a blast tore through the factory at around 2.50am.
Concerned that the flames could spread to chemical tanks at the factory, authorities have ordered residents in a 5-kilometre radius of the blast site to evacuate.
No deaths have been reported from the accident so far, though 20 people – 15 locals and five officials – have sustained injuries. Flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which lies within the 5km evacuation zone, are reportedly operating as normal.
