RAYONG, May 9 (TNA) – A Level 2 emergency has been declared after a chemical storage tank explosion at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate.
The explosion, which occurred at 10:30 AM at a C-9 (nine) aromatic chemical tank owned by Map Ta Phut Tank Terminal Co., Ltd., has caused a fire that is still raging. Thick black smoke is billowing into the sky, and there have been reports of injuries.
“We have ordered the evacuation of all personnel and businesses from the industrial estate,” said Veeris Ammarapala, Governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT).
The fire is still ongoing, and there is a risk of it spreading.
The Rayong provincial administration has also declared a Level 2 emergency, which means that all residents in the vicinity of the fire should evacuate immediately.
Emergency crews are on the scene battling the blaze, and firefighters are working to prevent it from spreading to other storage tanks. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. -819 (TNA)