One person was killed in a massive fire in a gas tank at an industrial site in eastern Thailand on Thursday, and hundreds of people were evacuated, authorities said.
• Read also: At least ten dead and more than a hundred injured in an explosion in Thailand
• Read also: The death toll from a nightclub fire in Thailand has risen to 25 people
They added that the fire started around 10:30 a.m. (3:30 GMT) at the Maptavot Industrial Port in Rayong Province.
The Industrial Sites Authority of Thailand (IEAT) said four people were injured, one of whom later died from his injuries, adding that the cause of the accident was not yet known.
Video clips broadcast by local media showed large clouds of black smoke and flames rising from the tank.
“About 200 people were evacuated from the surrounding area,” said Ataya Ataya Nawal Uthai, head of the district's disaster prevention and control office, without providing further details.
Rescue workers, including reinforcements from neighboring provinces, are trying to put out the fire by pouring seawater into it.
Thailand has recently witnessed a noticeable increase in fires, due to the heat wave affecting South and Southeast Asia.
Moreover, industrial accidents are not rare in this country as safety standards are known to be lax.
In 2022, a leak in an underwater oil pipeline, still in Rayong Province, spilled tons of crude oil into the sea, with thousands of liters reaching the coast.
