Explosion at fireworks factory in Thailand kills at least 20

The explosion leveled the facility and was the second such fatal accident in the country since 2022. Police are investigating the cause. /p>

VideoThe deadly explosion in Suphan Buri province left behind a pile of rubble in a field.CreditCredit...Agence France-Presse, via Suphan Buri Highway Rescue Association

A fireworks factory exploded in the center on Wednesday of Thailand, killing at least 20 people and injuring many others, according to Thai police. .

After the explosion, the factory, located in the middle of a field in Suphan Buri province, collapsed, leaving only rubble, showed photographs posted online by Thai media.

“No one could get out. No one could get out,” a distraught resident, who cried while talking on her cellphone, said in a video posted by Channel 7, a Thai television station.

Another resident interviewed by Channel 7 said the explosion was so loud it could be heard nearly a kilometer away.

It's unclear exactly what caused the explosion. second such accident in just over a year. The first case, which also involved an explosion and fire, killed one person in November 2022 and seriously injured three others, according to Thai police.

On Wednesday, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who is in Davos, Switzerland, asked authorities for hourly updates. The chief of Thai police, General Torsak Sukvimol, said he had ordered an investigation into the matter.

The factory had an operating permit, according to Channel 3, a television channel. , who also reported that the factory owner, his wife and their child(ren) died in the explosion.

Fireworks are commonly used during the festivities in Thailand. To meet demand, companies manufacture them and sometimes store them in unsafe conditions.

Ryn Jirenuwat and Muktita Suhartono contributed reporting.