Bomb-Protection Suits Not Full Protection: Thai General

BOMB SUITS

Bomb-protection suits not full protection : general

By The Nation

Bomb-protection gear cannot guarantee 100percent protection from explosions, Fourth Army Area commander LtGeneral Udomchai Thammasarojrat said yesterday.

"If the explosions are so powerful or the distance [between bombdisposal officers wearing the protective gear and the bombs] is too close, the prevention [of deaths or injuries] can't be guaranteed," the officer told a press conference.

After recently inspecting the bomb squad's inventory, the general said not all bomb-protection suits had gone past their expiry date.

"We have checked the operational readiness of all devices used in bomb disposal, and will buy new gear to replace those not in good condition," he added.

Unlike the military, a police source said the devices the police had to jam mobilephone signals were not strong enough to override transmission power, and expressed hope they would soon be given the same model as the military.

The source said 12 police ordnance officers had died or been disabled by bomb blasts since 2004. "The numbers will increase if better and new equipment is not made available," the source said.

Meanwhile, Senior SergeantMajor Kitti Mingsuk, one of the police officers killed in a Narathiwat bombing on New Year's Day, was posthumously honoured as Hero of Phya Lithai Camp at his funeral, which was presided over by national police chief Wichean Potephosree yesterday.

-- The Nation 2011-01-07