Chemical blaze racks up huge bill

[Lite Beer]

SAMUT PRAKAN
Chemical blaze racks up huge bill
Sutinan Kongsin
The Nation

A chemical storage company caught fire in Bang Pu industrial estate in Samut Prakan yesterday, creating a huge black cloud of smoke, but no casualties.

Samut Prakan:-- Damage in estate put at more than Bt1 billion

A chemical warehouse at the Bang Pu Industrial Estate has been declared a dangerous and off-limits zone as a massive fire continued to rage there yesterday despite a major fire-fighting effort.

The damage is estimated at well over Bt1 billion.

As of press time, the level of sulphur dioxide was still a little above the safe limit.

Two people have been hospitalised due to exposure to toxic fumes. One of them, 65-year-old Samlee Onnomdee, is in the intensive care unit of a local hospital. The other, Nitta Chimnok, was sent to the same hospital with a throat irritation, vomiting and nausea. She works at a firm some 500m from the fire.

The fire started yesterday morning in the 19-rai compound of Bang Pu Intermodal Systems Co Ltd and quickly engulfed the whole facility.

According to witnesses, the fire seemed to have started at the cold-storage zone.

"At first we tried to extinguish the fire ourselves but soon found out that wasn't possible," Sombat Khummee, one of the firm's employees, said. "So we quickly alerted relevant officials."

Lieutenant Nipon Kongpoon of Bang Pu Police Station said he received the report on the fire at around 9.30am yesterday.

Chemicals inside the warehouse included inflammable melamine, nylon, resin, grammoxone, thinner, weed-killer and pesticide.

"We believe there must have been stylene inside too because the fumes are black and emits a bad smell," said Sumetha Wichienphet from the Pollution Control Department said.

Stylene is a volatile organic compound.

Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand governor Veerapong Chaiperm, who inspected the scene, said firemen had control of the blaze.

Fireman Adirek Mekloy said: "We can control the blaze to an extent but we will have to dispatch fire-fighters into the building to extinguish the fire."

About 1,000 employees and workers at the warehouse were evacuated.

"There is a risk that the warehouse structure will crumble," said deputy Samut Prakan Governor Wanchai Kongkasame.

He said he had already instructed the Tambon Praksa Municipality to set up an evacuation centre for people affected by the fumes.

Locals have been wearing facial masks.

Pollution Control Department director general Wichien Jungrungruang said he had already assigned his deputy Sunee Piyapanpong to closely monitor the situation and air quality in the area.

It remains unclear how the fire started. Police are investigating and will also consult experts.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Chemical-blaze-racks-up-huge-bill-30237295.html

-- The Nation 2014-06-28

[ClutchClark]

I would not want to be a firefighter in Thailand.

No clear identification of hazardous substances, no codes for containment of combustibles, poor quality and meager availability of safety gear.

Hats off to those guys!

[Thai at Heart]

The level of firefighting control needed to handle a fire like this is very high.

Inside mapthaput would be a stretch. In this place?

[DGS1244]

Whats the betting either none or inadequately designed automatic sprinkler system. Be interesting to know who the insurer is? if Thai then getting paid compensation will be one big problem knowing the state of Thai insurers.

[noitom]

It is truly amazing how few times you hear or see a Thai fire truck making its way through Sukhumvit traffic to get to a Soi with a Thai house ablaze. Especially when you go in and see the gas cylinder leaning on a cereal box attached to a make shift portable burner.

[BudRight]

"So we quickly alerted relevant officials."

I'm impressed they were able to find any at all, let alone quickly.

[doremifasol]

"The damage is estimated at well over Bt1 billion".

Has the damage to the ecosystem and living things been estimated yet?

Of course not.

[techboy]

"So we quickly alerted relevant officials."

I'm impressed they were able to find any at all, let alone quickly.

Yeah but then again you wouldn't know.

[hhinhh]

Thai people are generally relaxed and happy but this should not lead to a nonchalance attitude in any aspect of safety. Whether there is a falling gate smashing a little child or electricity in a pool or handling of chemicals or the style motorcyclist are driving. Thailand needs to get more safety awareness for the sake of the health and lives of everyone in this beautiful country.

[BSJ]

"Chemicals inside the warehouse included inflammable melamine, nylon, resin, grammoxone, thinner, weed-killer and pesticide."

Je sus, you could not have a worse combination of chemicals if you tried! And to top it off styrene!

[Lite Beer]

Residents report health problems after warehouse blaze
The Sunday Nation

A fire at a factory warehouse in Samut Prakan still smolders yesterday after firefighters managed to control the blaze that started on Friday.

The smell of chemicals and smoke continued to affect residents and workers at three nearby factories as firefighters made efforts to put out a fire that has ravaged a warehouse of the Bang Pu Inter Model Systems Co (Bisco) in Samut Prakan's Bang Pu Industrial Estate since Friday.

Most the nearby residents and workers reported soreness of the throat, coughing, dizziness and vomiting, it was reported.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, with forensic police scheduled to arrive for inspection tomorrow.

Bisco initially estimated the damage at Bt1.2 billion. Executives from the firm said they would be willing to take responsibility for the fire.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Residents-report-health-problems-after-warehouse-b-30237346.html

-- The Nation 2014-06-29