RAYONG — The wife, family, and colleagues of an employee from the Mab Ta Phut Tank Terminal Company went on Friday to receive the body of Mr. Nopporn Nuanma, who died in the fire incident at chemical storage tank in an Eastern Thailand industrial estates.
Nopporn was the only fatality in this incident, while five other employees were injured at the Pyrolysis gasoline storage tank of the company located in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, Rayong Province, on May 9.
They were grief-stricken while taking his body back to his hometown in Nam Yen Sub-District, Phan District, Chiang Rai Province, for the funeral ceremony.
His colleagues revealed that Nopporn was the person who attempted to climb up and close the valve on the tank before the explosion occurred. The force of the blast tragically took his life.
The fire was contained eight hours later. About 400 workers and residents who have been evacuated to a temporary shelter.
This incident underscores the problems of management and prevention of hazards from chemicals and fires in industrial estates in Rayong Province.
Previously, a fire broke out at the factory of Win Process Co., Ltd. on the morning of April 22, 2024, affecting nearby residents and the environment. Subsequently, Mr. Julapong Taveesri, the Director-General of the Department of Industrial Works, submitted his resignation to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry on April 29, after being reprimanded by the Prime Minister for handling the situation too slowly.
This company was sued by the Department of Industrial Works and the Rayong Provincial Industry Office, petitioning the court to properly collect and store hazardous materials both inside and outside the factory premises, after the company had requested to cease operations since 2020.
Amidst the ongoing process of managing the chemical waste from Win Process Company, another explosion and fire incident occurred at the gas storage tanks of Map Ta Phut Terminal Company Limited (MTT), a subsidiary of Siam Cement Group (SCC) located in Rayong Province.
In the case of MTT, Mr. Thammasak Sethaudom, the Chief Executive Officer of SCC, revealed the preliminary investigation results regarding the cause of the incident that the employees had climbed up to inspect the quantity of Pyrolysis gasoline, a mixture of chemicals commonly used in gasoline blending, in the tank.
However, a cloud of smoke suddenly emerged, followed by an explosion at around 10.45 a.m. on Thursday. The force of the blast caused all individuals to fall from the tank, resulting in injuries and fatalities. The fire immediately ignited following the explosion.
Initially, employees managed to contain the fire at 12:30 p.m., but it reignited, and they were finally able to extinguish it at 6:00 p.m.
Afterward, authorities allowed the residents to return to the area and closed the temporary evacuation center at Maptaphut Panpittayakarn School. Subsequently, public health officials conducted health check-ups for the residents in the nearby communities.
Later, on May 10, the Governor of Rayong Province revoked the announcement declaring the communities of Nong Faeb, Ta-Kwan, and Ao Pradu as areas affected by a public disaster.
Meanwhile, the SCC sent a letter to President of the Stock Exchange of Thailand on May 10 to update on the incident at the MTT.
“SCC hereby informs you that the fire incident at MTT on May 9, 2024 occurred in the area where a storage tank containing hydrocarbon compound C9+ was located. MTT will be responsible for the medical treatment and provide assistance to the injured and the families of the casualties to the fullest extent,” it stated.
The letter added that MTT has cooperated with the Health Service Center, Map Ta Phut Municipal, and Chaloem Phrakiat Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Hospital Siam Boromrajakumari, Rayong to deploy medical personnel to provide care for those affected in the community.
MTT is covered by insurance policies that has been arranged as follows:
1. Industrial All Risks Insurance and Business Interruption Insurance
2. Public Liability Insurance
3. Legal Liability Insurance for liabilities arising from Category 3 of the Fuel Oils Control Act
regarding the control of liquefied petroleum gas and the control of oil
MTT has notified the insurance company to prepare for a joint investigation as soon as the access to the area is possible, in order to assess the damage according to the fact verification procedure and evaluate all related damages, including the cause of the incident to determine the claim value according to the conditions under insurance policy.
The company said in a statement that it is investigating the cause of the fire and will implement measures to prevent it from happening again. 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 and caught fire, killing three and seriously injuring two.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has instructed Ms. Pimpattara Wichaikul, the Minister of Industry, to closely take care of the affected people, while SCC has been assigned the responsibility of providing assistance and compensation to all those affected by the incident.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that all sectors must strictly enforce preventive measures to ensure that factories adhere to the rules and regulations. Furthermore, fire control measures must follow standardized procedures for fire management to minimize the impact on various factories and the residents living in the surrounding areas.
Later, Miss Pimpattara visited the factory where the incident occurred. As she stepped out of the car, she hesitated momentarily upon detecting the pungent odor of burned substances. She then proceeded to visit the residents living near the MTT factory at Sala Ta Kwan-Ao Pradu, Mab Ta Phut Subdistrict, Rayong Province, and apologized to those who were affected by the incident.
Afterward, she returned to Bangkok to hold a press conference, affirming that MTT Company would be held responsible for the damages and impacts caused. She also mentioned the results of air quality inspections at three locations: the Ta Kwan Health Station, the Nong Suea Kueak Station, and the Map Ta Phut Municipality Station. The air quality at these locations was found to be within normal limits.
____
