Locals evacuated after gas leak at Khao Kho ice factory

[webfact]

Locals evacuated after gas leak at Khao Kho ice factory

By THE NATION

 

 

People living in a 500-metre radius of an ice factory in Khao Kho, Petchabun, were evacuated after an ammonia gas leak at the facility.

 

Khao Kho police, who were alerted to the leak at the Yang Yeun ice manufacturing factory in Camp Son subdistrict at 3.20pm on Wednesday, rushed to the scene along with fire trucks and public health officials and was told by factory staff that the canister storing ammonia gas was leaking at its valve and could not be shut off.

 

 

Officials had to wear protective suits and used seven fire trucks to spray the area with water to reduce the effect of the spreading gas.

 

Khao Kho district chief Phakphum Phumi then ordered an emergency survey of children, the elderly and sick people living in a 1km radius of the factory to prepare them for evacuation. He also ordered the closure of the road from Camp Son Intersection to Krua Phet Kaew Intersection and advised motorists to use a bypass road in front of the Camp Son Buddhist Training Centre.

 

 

Later, at around 7pm, Phetchabun Governor Krit Khongmuang visited the scene to supervise and monitor the situation.

 

“I ordered an emergency evacuation of all people living in a 500-metre radius of the factory to a temporary camp at Camp Son Temple,” he said.

 

“Officials expect to control the situation by midnight or by 2am [on Thursday] the latest,” he said earlier.

 

There has been no report of injuries or deaths so far.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30395803

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-10-08

 

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[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

the canister storing ammonia gas was leaking at its valve and could not be shut off.

So not a dual safety valve, or 2 valves in tandem so that one can be closed should one fail?

[GreasyFingers]

37 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So not a dual safety valve, or 2 valves in tandem so that one can be closed should one fail?

This is only 3km from home. Would like to know the details of how it leaked but no gossip at the moment.

It appears that there is no planning for this type of event even though there are many ice factories in the area but luckily this one was not in a fully residential location. From what I hear the "authorities" did not know how to deal with it.

[PFMills]

2 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

This is only 3km from home. Would like to know the details of how it leaked but no gossip at the moment.

It appears that there is no planning for this type of event even though there are many ice factories in the area but luckily this one was not in a fully residential location. From what I hear the "authorities" did not know how to deal with it.

I am somewhat surprised, even in Thailand, that each Ice factory does not some sort of emergency procedure for an ammonia leak. It is a very bad gas to have leakage. If you can't shut off the leakage then the only alternative is to spray a huge amount of water until the tank is empty and I read that several fire engines attended, and of course evacuate the area.

 

If the Officials, assume they mean those who came with the fire engines, as quoted above only had to wear protective clothing and not breathing apparatus then it can't have been much of a leak. That seems to be confirmed by those taking advantage of a photo opportunity! But wonder if they considered that the leak could have got worse at any time and quickly.

 

You are right, you need to know what happened and also what procedures will now be checked there and at other plants....Ammonia is 'kin dangerous.   

Edited October 8, 2020 by PFMills