Ratchaburi: A pickup truck carrying goods exploded while parked in front of a general merchandise store at the Khao Ngu intersection in Ratchaburi Province. The force of the explosion damaged more than 10 nearby cars and several houses.
According to Thai News Agency, the incident occurred at 11:10 PM at the Khao Ngu intersection on Phetkasem Road in Na Mueang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Ratchaburi Province. A black pickup truck carrying goods, with Chainat license plates, exploded, damaging more than 10 nearby vehicles and several homes. Firefighters spent over 10 minutes spraying water before bringing the blaze under control. A preliminary inspection revealed the pickup truck was badly damaged, with debris and items, including soap, fishing rods, hooks, and fly traps, strewn across the road. Authorities temporarily closed the area.
In addition, more than 10 sedans and SUVs belonging to villagers parked in the area were damaged. The windows and doors of several houses in the area were shattered and damaged. Two people were injured: Mr. Sorasak, 39, the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident, and Mr. Siamrath, 37, the owner of the delivery company. Officials took them to a nearby hospital.
The owner of the vehicle involved in the incident revealed that the vehicle that exploded belonged to a general merchandise store, and that the truck was used to transport goods to various stores, particularly fishing rods. The vehicle involved in the explosion contained leftover fireworks from the Loi Krathong and New Year's festivals that had not yet been removed. It also contained flammable materials, alcohol from cosmetics, and a headlamp containing rechargeable batteries. Prior to the explosion, Mr. Sorasak, the pickup truck driver, was returning from a delivery and was about to park in front of the store when a spark suddenly ignited. He quickly got out of the vehicle while his son tried to put out the fire, but the fire spread quickly, so he got out before the explosion. Both were injured but are now out of danger.
Police suspect the explosion was caused by a bird repellent flare found in the back of a vehicle. The deputy governor of Ratchaburi province, along with forensic officers, inspected the scene to determine the cause of the explosion. Preliminary investigations revealed that the pickup truck had just returned from Suphan Buri province, where it had picked up items including nail polish remover, mouse glue, fly traps, cosmetics, fishing rods, lures, and fishing line. Numerous burst bird repellent flare shells were also found. Therefore, the suspected bird repellent flares may have been the cause of the explosion. Authorities will inspect all vehicles belonging to the shop, fearing that other vehicles may have been carrying bird repellent flares. They will also inspect the warehouse. Residents' property was damaged, with 11 vehicles and more than five houses damaged. Coordination is currently underway with the homeowners to inspect the damage inside their homes.