Fumes Send Factory Workers To Hospital In Angthong

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Fifty-eight workers laid low by mystery fumes

Two chemical accidents occurred yesterday, one of them causing acute physical problems for 58 victims.

Published on August 5, 2007

At about 11am, strong-smelling white fumes suddenly spread over an industrial area on the Angthong-Ayutthaya Highway in Angthong's Muang district.

The accident caused 58 people nearby, mostly workers, serious respiratory problems and headaches. They were sent to Angthong Hospital for treatment.

"The strange smoke was overwhelming when I entered the factory area. I could not breathe and felt a serious pain in my chest. I almost lost consciousness before my colleague took me to the hospital," said Therd Kijwichai, 41, a driver for one of the factories in the area, the Suphat Thanakorn Paper Mill.

"I was in an open area when I noticed the strong smell. I decided to run out of the area, before going to the hospital," said Jarin Jantrakul, 42, another worker at the company.

Dr Niran Jantrakul, director of Angthong Hospital, said all of those admitted had similar symptoms, especially respiratory problems. He suspected that the toxic fumes they inhaled were sulphur dioxide, which could cause cancer and serious respiratory disease if a person were to be exposed in sufficient quantity or for long enough.

However, all but 10 victims were later reported safe and returned home in the afternoon.

Angthong provincial industry official Sumalee Isaranurak said in the evening that an initial investigation found that the toxic gases had been released from the Thai Rayon factory - a manufacturer of viscose rayon staple fibre - after an electricity blackout.

"After the electrical problem was solved, the workers restarted the plant, causing an immediate release of toxic fumes which were later confirmed as sulphur dioxide. The fumes suddenly blew into a nearby factory, the Suphat Thanakorn Paper Mill due to strong wind, causing the mill to be initially blamed as the source," Sumalee said.

"We have reported the incident to the Pollution Control Department and the authorities will later send an expert to investigate the case," she said.

Thai Rayon director Pramote Ratanamongkhol late yesterday evening apologised for the accident.

Meanwhile, in Samut Prakan yesterday afternoon, a chemical truck fell into a canal near Sukhumvit Road km 42. The chemicals leaked out and spread a bad smell across the area.

According to Samut Prakan police, the accident was a result of an earlier one involving two pickup trucks, the driver of one of which was drunk.

After the initial crash, a pickup, which was travelling at high speed, hit the chemical truck and caused the con-

tents to leak, the police quoted the driver of the chemical truck, Jamlong Saiwan, as saying.

Jamlong, 39, said he was a driver for a company in Samut Prakan's Bang Bo district, transporting chemicals for the Tanning Association on Sukhumvit km 30.

Police arrested the drunk driver on a charge of careless driving.

Surasak Rimseub

The Nation