Prayut oversees situation after Narathiwat explosion
Outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged related agencies to assist residents affected by the warehouse explosion in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat province.
An explosion at the warehouse on Saturday evening killed 12 people and injured at least 120 others. The explosion also caused damage to 682 residences, of which 88 were completely damaged.
Police are currently on the hunt for the husband and wife pair who own the warehouse after they failed to respond to a police summons on Monday.
The government team led by the PM, accompanied by Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda, oversaw the situation at the scene and met nearby residents on Friday.
The team also followed up on the operation to repair damaged residences — 46 residences had been repaired so far.
Deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said Prayut had instructed related agencies to make the residences more durable and speed up the repair of utilities.
The premier also confirmed that the government would arrange durable residences, she said, adding that it would arrange lands to improve residents' quality of life.
On legal prosecution, she said the premier had ordered the police to speed up investigation and legal action against suspects involved in the explosion.
According to Rachada, Prayut also promised residents near the scene that the government would accelerate provision of assistance, adding that it was the government's duty to make people happy.
The premier thanked volunteers for assisting the victims, and vowed to do his best to help people as long as he was in charge.
Prayut handed out compensation to relatives of nine victims who had died in the explosion. He also headed to Sungaikolok Hospital to meet the victims injured during the incident.
