Firefighter dead after Thai chemical plant blast

An explosion in a chemical factory close to the Thai capital, Bangkok, left at least 33 people injured and one dead on Monday.

Several of those injured were involved in firefighting and rescue efforts, local media said.

The incident took place in Bang Phli district in the Samut Prakan province and caused extensive damage to surrounding buildings, including in nearby residential areas as far as 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away.

The Ming Dih factory, close to the Suvarnabhumi airport, produces plastic pellets. The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning, with clouds of black smoke still emanating from the site late in the afternoon, some reaching Bangkok itself.

"At first it felt like lightning. After that, I heard something drop loudly, and for a while, the house started shaking like there was an earthquake," local resident Baitong Nisarat told Reuters.

How did authorities respond?

More than 30 fire engines, as well as helicopters, were deployed, the Bangkok Post reported. Firefighters were seen making their way through the wreckage to get closer to the flames.

Fearing further explosions, Thai authorities evacuated people in a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius. Some 50 metric tons of chemicals are stored in five or six warehouses in the same factory compound, according to the newspaper report.

Officials said styrene monomer, a liquid chemical used to produce disposable foam plates, cups and other items, was one of the main substances housed at the site. It can emit poisonous fumes when ignited.

A school and a government office were set up as evacuation centers as rescue workers continued to search for survivors.

Firefighters said they had the blaze under control, but gave no word on the origin of the explosion.

The Ming Dih Group Corporation that owns the factory is based in Taiwan.

ab/rt (dpa, AP, Reuters)