Explosions in Defence Ministry caused by battery in generator
A soldier was injured when a generator exploded twice inside the Defence Ministry compound at about noon on Wednesday after a power blackout, officials said.
The power outage started at 10am.
At noon, a soldier was sent to start a power generator because outgoing Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha was scheduled to chair a 2pm meeting of the National Defence Council.
A mechanical glitch prevented the generator from operating. The soldier tried to fix it, leading to the two explosions.
Pieces of the generator’s battery hit his face during the explosions.
The sound of the explosions unnerved reporters inside the ministry before they were informed it was from the generator.
After they inspected the scene, military personnel from several departments concluded the explosions were caused by a defective battery in the generator, officials said.
