Frosty fright: Ammonia leak chills Bang Lamung district

An ice factory in Nong Prue, a tambon of Bang Lamung district, experienced an ammonia leak early this morning, affecting nearly 100 people within its 1-kilometre vicinity. The incident at Banglamung Ice Plant was reported to the district chief, Weekit Manarotekit, shortly before midnight yesterday, April 17.

Emergency rescue teams quickly arrived at the scene, discovering that the leaked ammonia had contaminated an area approximately 1 kilometre in radius surrounding the facility. The plant’s workforce and residents living within a 2-kilometre range were promptly evacuated for their safety.

The incident began with a loud explosion heard at the plant, followed by plumes of smoke. Those nearby reported experiencing severe irritation in their eyes and nose from inhaling the leaked gas, with some individuals even losing consciousness.

As the incident unfolded, more and more affected individuals sought first aid from the rescue workers. By 5am, around 40 people had been treated, and by Thursday late morning, this number had more than doubled to nearly 100. After receiving initial on-site aid, the injured were transported to several local hospitals for further treatment.

Weekit revealed that firefighters from Pattaya had shut down all ammonia valves inside the factory and used water to neutralise the leaked gas.

Bang Lamung health officials advised residents not to consume any food potentially exposed to the leaked ammonia for their safety, reported Bangkok Post.

Earlier this year, a fire broke out at a renowned fertiliser factory in Kanchanaburi province, engulfing over a hundred 200-litre paint containers. The blaze, which started at 9.30pm yesterday, January 29, was reportedly caused by burning sugarcane debris from the wind onto the storage area, igniting the containers and setting off explosions.

The inferno necessitated a response from over 30 fire trucks, with the expectation that it would take approximately 10 hours to fully extinguish.

At the scene, firefighters encountered a challenging situation as the fire raged through the stacks of paint containers, preventing them from getting close enough to effectively fight the flames.