RAYONG: Another fire broke out at the Win Process chemical storage factory in Rayong Province. The fire originated in Chemical Storage Building 5, next to a local rubber plantation. Fortunately, firefighters were able to put out the fire quickly. An inspection of the scene found two 30-liter oil drums in the rubber plantation. Initial suspicions are that it was arson.
According to Thai News Agency, police officers at Ban Khai Police Station in Rayong Province were notified at 9:00 p.m. last night that there was a fire inside a chemical waste storage factory owned by Win Process Company Limited. At the scene, the fire was found to be spreading over a wide area, approximately 10 meters in radius, in the area of Warehouse 5, next to a local rubber plantation. Firefighters sprayed water for nearly 1 hour before being able to bring the fire under control.
The scene of the fire was found to be a pile of scrap materials, including condoms, rubber syringes, plastic bags, and scraps of paper. An inspection near the scene in the rubber plantation next to Warehouse 5 found two 30-liter blue oil drums abandoned with no lids. The first drum had a diesel-like smell, with only a small amount remaining at the bottom. The other drum was found to be full. The forensic officers took the evidence back to Ban Khai Police Station to collect fingerprints on the drums. They will also contact experts to investigate whether the liquid in the drums was oil or some other substance, why it was left next to the factory, and whether it was related to the fire.
While the villagers believe that this fire was definitely set by someone, if it was a self-inflicted fire, it must have spread from the grass in the rubber plantation next to Warehouse 5. It is believed that someone set the fire for sure. Warehouse 5 is a warehouse of plastic scraps such as condoms and plastic. However, initially, the authorities have not concluded whether this fire was arson or not. They must wait to collect clear evidence first.
For the chemical waste storage plant of Win Process Company Limited, there was a major fire that burned down the chemical waste storage building almost completely at the end of April last year. It is currently under the care of the Department of Industrial Works and is in the process of moving the remaining chemical waste from the warehouse to be disposed of at another factory.