Phone could have sparked mine blast: police

By Suwannee Bunditsak 
The Nation

 

 

An explosion at a gypsum mine that killed a certified explosive expert may be caused by an incoming phone call, Surat Thani’s Governor Wutchawut Jintoh said on Wednesday.

 

The explosive in the mine of Akkarapat Mining Company killed Sanit Chukaew, 43, the firm’s explosives expert, who was certified by the Industry Ministry.

 

A woman from Myanmar, identified only as Kee, who was Sanit’s assistant, was injured from the blast.

 

Police and rescue workers spent about five hours before managing to retrieve Sanit’s body from the mine, mainly because they did not know where the three others explosives placed by Sanit had been planted. 

 

The governor who visited the scene claimed that the accident may have been because Sanit was carrying his mobile phone.

 

“Somebody may call him at that moment and the explosive went off,” said the governor.

 

He added that the three others bombs are to be retrieved today.

 

Meanwhile, Pol Col Panumart Pattanarat, chief of the police bomb squad, recommended Adul Akkaranit, owner of the company, use ropes instead of staff members during the night.

 

Police will destroy the remaining explosives by using wires to trigger them.

 

Adul told police that he was informed that Sanit’s mobile phone had some problems.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30346628

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-5-30

8 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Police will destroy the remaining explosives by using wires to trigger them.

thai genius; obviously the real culprits, the root causes were the explosives themselves 

seems to me the governor is the real explosive expert

did not know that mobile phones produce sparks, but never too old to learn.
Unless the mine uses remotely mobile phone controlled detonators, and they were to be triggered by the poor chap's, may he RIP, old telephone. But then again, I always thought that detonator triggers would use an unregistered secure number and maybe even a security code, not be private phones where friend's calls or LINE messages come in.
Progress has overtaken me again.

the other thing that puzzles me is:

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Meanwhile, Pol Col Panumart Pattanarat, chief of the police bomb squad, recommended Adul Akkaranit, owner of the company, use ropes instead of staff members during the night

For what? detonate, hang, tie, cordon off, secure media coverage ?  
If it were to secure the area, it would be most prudent to use both so no-one comes to steal the explosives or the wires connecting these.
 

If the detonator in the explosive used an electrically heated bridge-wire then there is a remote chance that a sufficiently strong radiation signal (such as a radio frequency signal used to connect mobile devices) would have initiated it.

 

RADHAZ has long been known and both commercial and military systems use special filters to prevent this. Hand-held monitors are available which indicate local Radiation Hazards and signal strengths.

 

Static electricity is a more likely cause.

Rip to the Gentleman,,, Maybe not so smart to have had his Phone On then ( But one doesn't Know for sure ),,, Safety Last,,,,

If one bomb went off due to incoming phone call,

which seems fantastical,why did the others not go 

off as well, wonder what the governor has to say 

about that ,as he seems to be an explosives expert.

 

They could not be putting the blame on the man's

phone ,so its the mans fault and no compensation

for his family.no,I don't think that would happen here.

regards Worgeordie

The guy was probably reasonably trained having been the powder monkey for some time a certified by the mining authority.

He obviously stuffed up......

Usual detonations would be charges installed with what sounds like electrical detonators.....the ignition source would be by battery or plunge generator....