At least 12 people were killed and 121 people left wounded after a huge explosion at a fireworks explosion in Thailand's Narathiwat province on Saturday, officials informed. Some people were also feared trapped under the debris.
According to the province's Public Relations Department, more than 200 households were affected in the aftermath of the explosion. Several videos emerged on social media showing a large cloud of smoke over the area with several damaged buildings.
The roofs and walls of at least 100 residences were damaged following the powerful explosion. According to the local public relations department, the blast caused damages in a radius of 500 metres.
A possible cause of the blast was likely due to sparks from metal welding causing the fireworks stored inside to catch fire and explode during construction work, said provincial governor to Thailand local media.
According to Narathiwat Provincial Police Commander Anuruth Imarb on Sunday, the police plan to charge the owner of the warehouse with a criminal offense for “causing the explosion and resulting in people’s deaths and injuries and property damage."
Thailand still has a poor record of accidents on its roads, construction sites and in the work place, despite several calls from the public to improve public safety.
(with AP inputs)
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