Suphan Buri, Thailand – A devastating explosion at a fireworks factory in central Thailand has resulted in approximately 20 fatalities, according to officials from the Suphan Buri provincial government. The death toll remains uncertain due to severe damage at the scene. The office initially reported 23 deaths, but later revised the figure to 19 deceased and three missing individuals. The national Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation had initially estimated at least 20 fatalities.
Located about 95 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Bangkok, Suphan Buri is situated in the heart of Thailand’s central rice-growing region. Photos circulated on social media depict a thick plume of black smoke billowing over the site, with images from local rescue workers revealing the factory site completely flattened.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, currently at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, received a video showing him being informed over the phone by the regional police commander that 20 to 30 workers were present at the factory during the explosion, with none of them accounted for. Rescue workers at the scene have reported no survivors, despite contradictory statements from the disaster department claiming that wounded individuals were found.
Kritsada Manee-In, a rescue worker with the Samerkun Suphan Buri Rescue Foundation, remarked on the difficulty in obtaining an accurate count of the deceased, given the condition of the bodies. As the explosion occurred less than a month before Chinese New Year, when demand for fireworks peaks, the national disaster agency is conducting an investigation into the cause of the blast.
National police chief Torsak Sukvimol confirmed reports of a previous explosion at the factory in November 2022 that resulted in one death and three serious injuries. Legal action will be sought for any negligence related to the recent accident. This incident bears resemblance to a similar explosion in July of the previous year, which claimed at least 10 lives and injured over 100 individuals in southern Thailand. The cause of that explosion was deemed to be accidental, likely ignited by construction work in the warehouse.
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This version of the report has been corrected to state that the earlier reported explosion occurred in 2022, not 2023.