BANGKOK, Thailand – A devastating explosion at a fireworks factory in central Thailand has left approximately 20 people dead, though the exact death toll remains uncertain. The explosion occurred in Suphan Buri, located about 60 miles northwest of Bangkok, the heart of Thailand’s central rice-growing region.
Initial reports from the Suphan Buri provincial government stated that 23 people had been killed, but the figure was later revised to 19 dead and three missing. The national Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation initially estimated at least 20 people were killed in the blast.
Photos posted on social media showed a thick plume of black smoke over the scene, and images from local rescue workers revealed that the factory site had been virtually leveled flat. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, currently in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, was informed by the regional police commander that 20 to 30 workers were at the factory at the time of the explosion, and none of them could be found.
The explosion came less than a month before Chinese New Year in February, a time when demand for fireworks is high. The national disaster agency has launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Local news reports confirmed another explosion at the same factory in November 2022, which resulted in the death of one worker and serious injuries to three others. National police chief Torsak Sukvimol stated that legal action would be pursued for any wrongdoing involved in the latest accident.
In July of the previous year, a large explosion at a fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand killed at least 10 people and wounded over 100, leaving about 100 houses within a 1,640-foot radius damaged. The blast was likely ignited by construction work in the warehouse, with sparks from metal welding causing the fireworks to catch fire and explode.