20141112 Thailand Hundreds escape fire in factory
Thailand Nov 11 2014 “Factories”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : --- Injured : injured 1 to 9
Hundreds escape fire in factory
Updated: 2014-11-13-06:00
Firefighters are mobilised to control the fire that raged at a warehouse at Bang Kradi Industrial Estate in Pathum Thani early yesterday. More than 300 panicked workers ran out of the building. Two female workers suffered smoke inhalation.
A fierce fire raged through an electronics warehouse in Pathum Thani early yesterday, forcing more than 300 factory workers to flee the site.
The fire engulfed a warehouse at the Bang Kradi Industrial Estate in Pathum Thani, owned by SVI Co, which makes electronics parts for CCTV cameras.
The warehouse is next to the company’s main factory building, where night-shift staff were on duty when the blaze broke out about 4.40am.
Staff told police they were working on the ground-floor production line when they smelled burning and saw smoke coming from offices on the second floor.
Someone shouted “fire” and people began to run from their work stations even before the fire alarm was set off.
More than 30 Pathum Thani fire engines were deployed to the compound on Tivanond Road in tambon Bang Kradi of Muang district.
Firefighters tried to contain the blaze and declared the area off-limits amid fears the building could collapse.
However, they were unable to bring the flames under control and had to call in support from colleagues in neighbouring provinces at 7am.
Meanwhile, staff from SVI and other companies in the area worked to save expensive equipment from surrounding warehouses.
Firefighters eventually put out the blaze, but not before it had gutted the warehouse where it started. Police investigations found nobody was in the warehouse at the time of the incident.
However, two female workers suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to Pathum Thani Hospital. They were later given a clean bill of health.
Forensic investigators were called in to assist police trying to establish the cause of the fire. Pathum Thani governor Pongsathorn Sajjacholaphan also inspected the scene to assess the damage.
The cost of the blaze is estimated at more than 500 million baht.
Websource:Bangkok Post
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/443021/hundreds-escape-fire-in-factory