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A fireworks factory exploded in central Thailand on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and injuring many others, according to the Thai police.
After the blast, the factory, in the middle of a field in Suphan Buri Province, collapsed, leaving nothing but rubble, photographs posted online by Thai media outlets showed.
“Nobody could get out. Nobody could get out,” said a distraught female resident, who was weeping as she spoke into her mobile phone, in a video posted by Channel 7, a Thai broadcaster.
Another resident who was interviewed by Channel 7 said the blast was so loud that it could be heard almost a kilometer away.
It was unclear what caused the explosion, which was the second such accident in just over a year. The first instance, which also involved an explosion and a fire, killed one person in November 2022 and seriously injured three people, according to the Thai police.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand, who is in Davos, Switzerland, asked the authorities for hourly updates. Thailand’s police chief, Gen. Torsak Sukvimol, said he had ordered an investigation into the case.
The factory had a permit to operate, according to Channel 3, a television network, which also reported that the factory owner, his wife and their child or children had died in the blast.
Fireworks are commonly used in festivities in Thailand. To satisfy demand, companies sometimes make and store them in unsafe conditions.
Ryn Jirenuwat and Muktita Suhartono contributed reporting.
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