Govt reveals 2 Thais injured in Beirut blast

Two Thais have been treated for minor injuries sustained in Tuesday’s massive explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut, the Labour Ministry revealed yesterday.

Veerayut Boonrak, who works as a cook at a Japanese restaurant, suffered head injuries and cuts from broken shards of glass, according to Tierrat Nawamawat, the deputy labour permanent secretary and the ministry’s spokeswoman.

Mr Chanathat Tanyotsak, a jewellery maker, had multiple cuts to his hands from broken glass, she said.

Both men also experienced temporary hearing loss as a result of the blast in the port area of the city which left at least 135 people dead and thousands injured.

Both men were treated in hospital and later discharged, Ms Tierrat said.

The spokeswoman also said Siriorn Sriwut, a Thai volunteer for a Lebanese labour information network, had reported the Lebanese government had called on people in Beirut to wear face masks and gloves in the aftermath of the explosion.

It was reported that more than 2,000 metric tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been stored at the port in Beirut where the explosion occurred.

According to the network report, the smell of ammonium nitrate has pervaded across wide areas and people have complained of nose and skin irritations.

The report also said drinking water was becoming scarce and expensive in the city in the aftermath of the massive blast.

There are approximately 170 Thais working in Lebanon, mostly as jewellery makers, masseuses and cooks.