Nine killed, 115 injured in Thailand fireworks warehouse explosion

At least nine people have been killed and more than 115 injured after a blast at a fireworks warehouse in a market in southern Thailand.

The blast in Sungai Kolok, on the Malaysian border, at around 15:00 local time (09:00 BST) on Saturday is thought to have been caused by construction work.

The market fire is now under control, the local governor told AFP.

A preliminary investigation indicates a “technical error” during steel welding was responsible, Sanon Pongaksorn said.Footage published in local media showed a large smoke plume rising from the market, with many shops, homes and vehicles badly damaged by the force of the explosion – including several on fire or with their rooves ripped off.

Seksan Taesen, an eyewitness who lives 100m (330 ft) from the market, said he was at home when he heard a “loud, thunderous noise and my whole house shook”.

“Then I saw my roof was wide open. I looked outside and I saw house collapsing and people lying on the ground everywhere. It was chaos”, he told AFP.

Also Read: Myanmar’s Democratic Struggle At Stake in Thailand’s Election

Thailand’s construction industry has a poor safety record and deadly accidents are commonplace.

Last month two people died after a road bridge collapsed onto traffic during construction in the capital Bangkok.