In the small hours of the recent Tuesday morning, the typically serene Laem Chabang deep seaport in Tambon Thung Sukla of Si Racha district was suddenly disrupted by an unexpected event. A massive container weighing about 9 tonnes, containing hazardous acidic chemicals, was set ablaze. These containers, particularly this one, are customarily used to house high-risk goods and this one was stored securely on the grounds of the JWD Company located inside the seaport compound.
The Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry was the first to confirm the incident, through an announcement given by Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong. A meticulous examination of the situation revealed that the burning container housed approximately 378 boxes of organic peroxides, a group of acidic chemicals notorious for their high-risk nature, with each box weighing an estimated 18 kilograms.
Despite the swift response and action of firefighting personnel who extinguished the flames rapidly, a potent odor had begun to envelop the surrounding areas of the port. According to Opas, this pervasive smell was the unwelcome side effect of the chemical fire.
Amidst the chaos, a total of 183 personnel on the scene had to be hastily evacuated. Out of these, a disheartening six individuals fell victim to respiratory troubles. These factory workers received preliminary first-aid treatment before being transported to a local privately owned hospital. Their conditions were promptly dealt with, and any threat to their lives was averted.
Official teams were also dispatched to examine 54 hard workers placed in the control tower and 23 others stationed at the parking grounds of Toyota Motors Thailand. Thankfully, in these particular areas, no incidents of respiratory difficulties were reported. Further precautionary measures were taken as officials conducted a thorough check of the communities within a 5-kilometre radius of the fire. Up until now, no illness or damage to residents’ health has been reported.
A proactive approach was taken by the health officials in communicating with the local residents. Using the community’s public address system, they imparted crucial advice to the residents; reinforcing the importance of wearing masks whenever they ventured outside their homes. This was a prompt yet necessary measure, considering the potential risks involved due to the incident.
Furthermore, the residents were instructed to promptly inform community leaders or health volunteers if they were to experience any issues related to breathing difficulties. These precautionary measures were taken to allow for rapid transportation of these individuals to the Laem Chabang Hospital, thus ensuring immediate medical assistance and care in case any such untoward incident was to occur.
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