Student Killed in Gas Explosion During Fire Drill

[SAFETY FIRST]

48 minutes ago, flexomike said:

where did you get the fire blanket, wife has had a few fires in the kitchen and one she got burned pretty bad when she tried removing the pan

Thai Watsadu sell them 

[Tongjaw]

RIP to the young student. Hopefully a speedy recovery for those injured and the authorities support those witnesses who will require counseling.

The real truth is the equipment failed is due to lack of funding to maintain or replace items.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2586261/bma-admits-cash-shortfall-hampering-fire-coverage

In reality explosions are infrequent, but it is important to know the factors that can contribute to them. Overpressurization is a primary concern and can occur for various reasons, such as excessive heat exposure, physical damage, or improper maintenance resulting in pressure buildup beyond the extinguisher’s design limits. Corrosion, particularly in older extinguishers, can weaken the container, increasing the likelihood of rupture. Extreme temperatures, such as exposure to fire or direct sunlight, can also compromise the structural integrity of the extinguisher.

Fire extinguishers can potentially explode when exposed to extremely high temperatures. The specific temperature at which an explosion may occur can vary depending on factors such as the materials used to construct the fire extinguisher and its size. Generally, a fire extinguisher must be heated above 572°F (300°C) to reach a critical point where an explosion is possible.

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, flexomike said:

where did you get the fire blanket, wife has had a few fires in the kitchen and one she got burned pretty bad when she tried removing the pan

We never cook in the house and never have. The extractor hood still has the plastic on from when it was originally installed years ago. The kitchen remains unused except for the microwave and kettle.

 

All our food is prepared outside on a BBQ with oven.

 

I have also  found with not cooking food in the house, we never get vermin, although we live in a rural area.

 

A tragedy for the firemen, the school and more importantly the little boy and his family. RIP.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Scouse123

[maxcorrigan]

18 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Yeah, the ones we used in drills (long ago) were water type, no mess.

Yeah, or red metal buckets on hooks with a round bottom filled with sand and dog-ends

[brianthainess]

So it was re-filled, with too much pressure, going by the image it doesn't even look like it has a gauge fitted to it?  

I have done a course in firefighting and the only use for CO2 was to freeze the flame at the valve from an LPG bottle/tank laying on its side (to simulate a bottle used on forklift trucks) emitting a very long flame, most other standing gas bottles you simply walk from behind and turn it off, OH but this was at a UK fireman's training school (Swindon), where firemen get 6 weeks training. I only had one days training as my job required me to deliver LPG bottles. It was mandatory. NEVER lay down gas bottles.

[Cake Monster]

When I was a kid,  fire drill at school was as follows

Upon hearing the Fire Alarm, walk in an orderly  fashion to the assembly point designated for your Classroom along with your Teacher

The Teacher would then take a full head count based upon that Days attendance Register.

Fire Extinguishers and Kids together ????

Well ! I guess its more important to save the Building than the Kids here in Thailand

RIP and speedy recoveries to those injured, and long Jail Terms for those responsible for this atrocity

[lopburi3]

2 hours ago, flexomike said:

where did you get the fire blanket, wife has had a few fires in the kitchen and one she got burned pretty bad when she tried removing the pan

I bought online few years ago (but admit did not check if safe to eat food after using) ????  Was after outlet/fan type fires when have had a few with cheap items bought at large stores and potential kitchen use.

https://www.lazada.co.th/tag/fire-blanket/?q=fire+blanket&_keyori=ss&from=input&spm=a2o4m.home.search.go.11257f6dz6Xc7B&catalog_redirect_tag=true

Edited June 24, 2023 by lopburi3

[Moonlover]

4 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Ordinarily sunlight would pose no risk whatsoever, this tank must have been grossly over pressurized, and whether the sun triggered it or simply someone handling it, it was a bomb waiting to go off. Whoever said that about it being out in the sun was speculating and didn't know the facts, nor do we. 

Sorry, I completely disagree with that. I've seen dramatic rises in pressure in SCUBA tanks that have been left out in the sun for too long. They, fortunately are built to much higher standards than fire extinguisher cylinders and can withstand it.

 

It has now been established that there was no safety valve fitted to the one that exploded. That and the rise in pressure due to heat from the sun almost certainly caused this incident.

[Jing Joe]

HappyExpat57 relates :- Same thing with scuba cylinders. They have to be stress tested on a regular basis, and if they fail, a big ol' hole is drilled into the side to avoid this very kind of thing.  Good safety advice, and even then impatient newbies might need to be wary (apart from the fracture-testing danger) of a drilling proceedure if done on a leaking nearly-full cylinder.    Stranger tragic things have happened e.g. when an 1/8 inch hole was nearly completed near the end of a Japanese torpedo to release the compressed air, a bigger hole exploded and projected it 100+ metres and killed the driller.

So sad about the departed Thai innocent student and bystanders.

[thailand49]

I recently renovated one of my unit after a tenant left.  Two doors down a year ago a tenant back portion kitchen caught on fired lack of hygiene pile of junks garbage on corner he like to smoke the weed.  Lucky neighbor heard a lot pop he had a small gas container on the floor the heat from the weather cause the canister to exploit. No one home lucky neighbor was able to obtain enough water and threw it through the iron barrier to put it out.  The now renovated unit I put in a smoke detector was thinking of putting in a small fire extinguisher I'm having second thoughts now. 

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

I'm having second thoughts now. 

 

Erase those second thoughts! The risk from a fire is far greater than the risk from your extinguisher.

 

You would not be installing a CO₂ extinguisher like the one that blew up. The red ABC ones you get from HomePro etc. use far lower pressures and don't usually get refilled.

 

Wise not to install them in the sun of course.

[Skeptic7]

When maintained properly, they are perfectly safe. ALL airlines have multiple on board. They are not CO2 any longer, but we're in past years. For a couple decades now they use Halon extinguishers, also H2O for Class A fires. Airplanes are subject to extreme heat when parked during downtime in hot locations...and pressure changes all the time when in use. These extinguishers never explode. This unnecessary death and other injuries was the result of negligence. Improperly maintained equipment. 

[sambum]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

20 hours ago, webfact said:

11.22 a.m. Urgently rehearsing the plan and failing to become a real event

#Suddenly there was an explosion at the school. A Co2 fire extinguisher explodes during a fire drill. One student was killed and five were injured inside Ratwinit Matthayom School on Phitsanulok Road, Suan Chitralada Subdistrict, Dusit District, Bangkok. Area of responsibility of Nang Loeng Police Station

#Where's the security?

 

Picture from: join the gratitude

 

Source: Facebook

UPDATE: POLICE said a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher that exploded during a fire drill at a secondary school in Bangkok killing one student and injuring 29 others was a reusable one but not fitted with a safety valve, Thai Rath and Matichon newspapers said.

 

[BenStark]

32 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Erase those second thoughts! The risk from a fire is far greater than the risk from your extinguisher.

Just a question.

 

I have no fire extinguisher, but I have one of those cooking gas bottles for at least 14 years, and never used.

 

There is no rust on the bottle that I can see.

 

Would it be advisable to open it and let all the gas out?

[webfact]

Nang Loeng school fire drill turns fatal, professor postulates cause of explosion
By Samantha Rose

 

PHOTO: Sanook

 

On a tragic day, a notable secondary school in the Nang Loeng neighbourhood experienced a devastating explosion. The gas cylinder explosion incident resulted in the loss of a student’s life and injured many.

 

The school had invited fire-fighting officials to conduct a fire drill for students. The explosion happened when the officials opened a 20-kilogram gas cylinder to demonstrate basic fire extinguishing methods. The escaping gas caused the deadly explosion, catapulting the deceased more than ten metres away. The official serving as the instructor also sustained injuries.

 

Footage of the terrifying moment when the fire extinguisher cylinder exploded during a fire drill, prompting screams from students, was shared and garnered widespread attention.

 

Subsequently, Jetsada Denduangboriphan, a biology teacher from Chulalongkorn University, made a post on his Facebook Page ‘Oh, I see by Ajarn Jess.’ Suggesting a possible cause for the explosion, he offered some hypotheses.

 

It is likely that the cylinder in question was refilled with gas and left exposed under the sun for an extended period, resulting in an increased temperature which caused high-pressure expansion, eventually leading to the explosion as there was no safety valve installed.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/nang-lerng-school-fire-drill-turns-fatal-professor-postulates-cause-of-explosion

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-06-24

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

[chalawaan]

20 hours ago, farang9392 said:

Yikes. I thought about picking up one of them in HomePro the other week, think it was just shy of a grand, but I decided otherwise as I remembered I still havent installed the smoke detectors I bought six months ago ???? Are they actually that dangerous in normal cases?

Not if they're maintained and discarded once they are at use-by, but, who bothers with these irritating details in carefree Kalaland?

[ThaiFelix]

3 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Only in Thailand (or any other Third World country). Attending school is like visiting the Titanic.

No not really.  When I was teaching we had fire evacuation drills every year.  One time we had an american fruit loop who, even after having a meeting on procedures, thought he was funny by shouting "run!"  "run!" when the alarm went off resulting in scores of kindegarden kids falling over each other running down the stairs and 6 or 7 needing medical attention.  Dont think he came from a Third World country but the Thais cleaned up after him.

 

[pp00]

I don' t fully get this. Why should a CO2 fire extinguisher explode if there is CO2 in it? Thrown directly into the flames and got too hot or what BS did they actually do?

[Russell17au]

The problem was that this cylinder did not have a SAFETY RELEASE VALVE fitted so as the cylinder heated up the gas expanded inside the cylinder and the extra pressure could not escape because of no safety release valve being fitted. All gas bottles of all types must have a safety release valve fitted to stop this type of thing happening and it does not matter how old the cylinder is. If it does not have that safety release valve fitted it will explode

[webfact]

Rachawinit School closed Monday and Tuesday following fire drill fatality
 

 

In the aftermath of a fatal fire drill accident on Friday, Rachawinit School will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday. One student was killed and ten other students and firemen were injured when a fire extinguisher tank ruptured.

 

The school director, Thepparith Yodsai, ordered the closure of the school as a special case, saying that the tragic loss of life has seriously affected the morale of students, teachers and parents alike.

 

The director said that the school administration wants to make sure that the school buildings and its environment are ready and safe for the normal resumption of classes.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/rachawinit-school-closed-monday-and-tuesday-following-fire-drill-fatality/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-06-24

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

[recom273]

This is sad.

 

I have seen a few events like this where adults teach kids to do brave acts in schools. Yes, it's good to be aware of the different types of extinguisher and uses. However, we were always taught the main rules were to get to a place of safety and call the fire brigade. These displays always have to have a fun or wow! factor. Im sure someone would have set off the fire extinguisher to get a big cloud of co2 and everyone can laugh and smile. Not today, sadly.

[Al BB]

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

So it was re-filled, with too much pressure, going by the image it doesn't even look like it has a gauge fitted to it?  

I have done a course in firefighting and the only use for CO2 was to freeze the flame at the valve from an LPG bottle/tank laying on its side (to simulate a bottle used on forklift trucks) emitting a very long flame, most other standing gas bottles you simply walk from behind and turn it off, OH but this was at a UK fireman's training school (Swindon), where firemen get 6 weeks training. I only had one days training as my job required me to deliver LPG bottles. It was mandatory. NEVER lay down gas bottles.

Did a one day course at Liverpool Fireman's Training Centre with a colleague, as we were appointed Office Fire Wardens for our respective "Floors".

We were tasked with putting out a tray of burning oil, and then re charging the extinguishers and repeating.

Can't remember if it was powder or not, but, it didn't do the job as we didn't recharge the extinguishers correctly.

On the way home, my colleague remarked, "Good job we wernt packing Parachutes eh?"

[BarraMarra]

Can C02 inside a fire extinguishire expand in a sealed canister be it a gas bottle or in this case a fire extinguishire ? and without a safety valve i would imagine the gas inside will eventually expand enough to explode.

[spidermike007]

Fire extinguishers normally need to be tested and certified, at least once a year. Have these ever had a single test? Someone needs to pay for this. I would start by arresting the principal of the school. Then the head of the school district. Lock them up for a very long time.

[brianthainess]

54 minutes ago, Al BB said:

 

We were tasked with putting out a tray of burning oil, and then re charging the extinguishers and repeating.

Can't remember if it was powder or not, but, it didn't do the job as we didn't recharge the extinguishers correctly

You don't remember what extinguisher for oil Oh Dear.

I remember a Royal navy film we had to watch (may have been John Cleese doing the voice over) 

In the film, a group of cadets are training, at lunch break one of them who's name was on his shirt was PRATT i kid you not, for a laugh lets of a foam extinguisher, after lunch they have to put out an oil fire, when it comes to PRATT's turn there is only a water one left, Woosh burning oil everywhere. A first class education film. 

incidentally on board ship we had 45gal drums full of Ox blood, sea water under pressure through a Venturi pipe turns it into a foam jet maybe up to 30meters, practiced from the stern out to sea.

[Almer]

I am easily confused, was it a gas cylinder or a fire extinguisher.? 

[RobU]

5 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

I bought online few years ago (but admit did not check if safe to eat food after using) ????  Was after outlet/fan type fires when have had a few with cheap items bought at large stores and potential kitchen use.

https://www.lazada.co.th/tag/fire-blanket/?q=fire+blanket&_keyori=ss&from=input&spm=a2o4m.home.search.go.11257f6dz6Xc7B&catalog_redirect_tag=true

If it's an asbestos fire blanket I'd be very wary of eating any food it was used on

[Jing Joe]

A bit of a puzzle? How come two quite different pics? from the same incident?

Or does this mean from the photo archives there's been more than one failure?

The upper picture looks like a clean CO2 extinguisher.

The lower pic was reported from the article about a 20kg "gas cylinder" then referred to it a a "fire extinguisher" at what sounds like the same incident? Looks like a powder extinguisher or is that ice from the freezing of released CO2?

No wonder Almer wrote  "I am easily confused, was it a gas cylinder or a fire extinguisher.? "

Regardless, a life has been sadly lost.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Jing Joe
two different bottle pictures have emerged

[xtrnuno41]

My company, not a small one, also did fire drills with bottles which had to be refilled/tested and sometimes you had one, it didnt do a thing. You took another and continued.

It shows you cant always rely on the bottles. The bottles were taken, tested, checked, refilled on regulations for those bottles. But used for fire drill. 

All said in this story, in sun building up pressure and non or broken safety device.

We had powder and CO2. powder you had to be "careful" with, as you could had some troubles (or not) in going to the toilet, doing number 2 the easy way.

Also the powder isnt that well to use in electronic fires, as for instance in car fires. As the powder is very fluffy and gets everywhere.

 

Not only heat can have explosion. Some weeks ago i put in a cola bottle in freezer, to make it cool in an hour. I do regulair. However i forgot, also happend before but then all is frozen. So got it out in time.

But now 8 hours later, heard a bang, freezer door was open and the bottle had exploded, blasting off the cap and that one was pointed to drawer side, leaving a hole in the drawer! So quite a force.

I was flabbergasted. Dont forget to take it out !

[LikeItHot]

Thailand.  Where safety comes last.