Govt speeds up help for fire victims
SCG to cover all compensation
The government is speeding up help to victims and locals affected by a fire at a warehouse in Rayong’s Map Ta Phut industrial park on Thursday.
The blaze started at around 10.30am when a large pyrolysis gasoline (pygas) storage tank exploded at Map Ta Phut Tank Terminal.
The incident led to the shutdown of SCG Chemicals Plc, a petrochemical arm of Siam Cement Group (SCG) in the eastern province.
The fire then spread to a nearby tank containing a C9+ hydrocarbon compound, a solvent for manufacturing plastic pellets, and sent huge plumes of black smoke into the air. The fire was brought under control at 4.50pm.
The exploded tank, situated among numerous large tanks, is part of a commercial port and storage terminal at Map Ta Phut Port. The site is designated for the storage of liquid and gaseous petrochemical products.
Four people, three employees at the warehouse and two firefighters, were injured during the incident and were taken to hospitals. Another person, Nopporn Ruenma, a 33-year-old employee of the warehouse, died.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin yesterday told the media that he had instructed Industry Minister Pimphattra Wichaikul to take care of residents in the surrounding area while SCG will pay for all compensation.
Asked about preventive measures, Mr Srettha said he has reiterated that all sectors must stringently abide by fire control regulations and set standards to deal with them amid the hot weather in the country.
The declaration of an emergency situation has also now been lifted, he said.
Ms Pimphattra said the fire had been brought under control by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) and the company. Coolant and foam will be continuously sprayed to maintain the temperature.
Affected residents have been evacuated to Takuan Ao Pradu community in Rayong under the supervision of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) and a medical team from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Allied Health Sciences.
Water from two nearby sites has been tested, and there has been no chemical contamination.
Air quality readings, measured at Takuan, Nong Suea Kuak and Map Ta Phut municipality stations, found no contamination. The Pollution Control Department detected small amounts of the chemical vapour of BTEX — a group of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene chemical compounds — and others. The level was low and cannot cause respiratory damage.
Ms Pimphattra instructed the IEAT to closely monitor all factories in the industrial estate and port and strictly comply with the Factory Act. She also conveyed her apologies to all residents and thanked all sectors for their assistance.
IEAT governor Weerit Amrapal said IEAT will establish the cause of the incident and will come up with measures to prevent explosions in future.
The industrial estate has also been instructed to beef up safety measures to align with process safety management standards.
Aimon Siangyai, director-general of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, said the family of the man who was killed in the incident is eligible for 110,000 baht.
Under the Rights and Liberties Protection Act, compensation for the injured victims includes up to 40,000 baht in medical costs, up to 20,000 baht in rehabilitation costs, guaranteed wage payment based on a daily minimum rate for up to one year, and other compensation of up to 50,000 baht.
Boonsong Thapchaiyuth, secretarygeneral of the Social Security Office (SSO), said the SSO would cover the medical costs of the four injured within the law’s limit and 70% of wage payments while they are unable to work for one year.