One dead, four injured in chemical storage tank fire in Thailand

May 10, 2024 by No Comments

At least one person was killed and four others were injured after a huge fire broke out at a massive chemical storage tank in an industrial park on Thursday. Firefighters battled the flames for over six hours before containing the fire, and estimated it may take more than 10 hours to fully extinguish it, according to the Rayong province’s public relations department. About 400 workers and residents were evacuated to a temporary shelter, the department said. Officials stated the tank, which has a storage capacity of 2,500 cubic meters, belongs to Mab Ta Phut Tank Terminal company, which operates a commercial port and storage terminal for petrochemical products. They explained the tank contained Pyrolysis gasoline, a mixture of chemicals commonly used in gasoline blending. Videos and photos from the scene show a huge plume of black smoke engulfing a white tank that was standing close to several others. The company said in a statement that it is investigating the cause of the fire and will implement measures to prevent a recurrence. It expressed its condolences and said the company is ready to provide compensation to those affected. In 2021, the company was ordered to cease operations temporarily after another one of its storage tanks erupted, killing three and seriously injuring two.