Garbage collector’s attempt to dismantle bomb ends in tragedy in Krabi

A Thai garbage collector died on Sunday after he tried to dismantle a bomb he found on a dumpsite in the southern province of Krabi.

The incident occurred at the home of Kampanart Subcharoen in the Khlong Tom district of Krabi on Sunday, March 2. The 33 year old garbage collector, died while attempting to dismantle a bomb he found at a nearby dumpsite. His right hand was blown off, and he suffered multiple shrapnel injuries all over his body, leading to his death.

When officers arrived at Kampanart’s home in the Khlong Tom district, they found his body on top of several unexploded bombs and grenades he had collected, some of which were identified as M406 40mm HE (high explosive) grenades. Members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team worked for more than three hours to dispose of the dangerous items. Fortunately, Kampanart’s mother, who was inside the house at the time of the explosion, was unharmed.

It is believed that Kampanart had collected the bombs from nearby dumpsites to sell the iron parts. However, it is suspected that he hit the bomb too hard in an attempt to disassemble it, causing it to explode and resulting in his untimely death.

Residents initially thought the explosion was part of a military exercise because the 15th Infantry Division of the Royal Thai Army is located in the area. However, the sound of Kampanart’s screams after the explosion made the locals rush to his house to check but they could not do anything to help him.

The EOD team closed the area to investigate the incident. They suspected that more bombs might be present in the area.

The investigating officer reported that Kampanart’s mother will be questioned to find out where he obtained the bombs and how he made them explode.

Two weeks ago, two Thai women were injured after a group of teenagers threw ping pong bombs at them while they were riding their motorcycles on Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya at about 1am. The victims insisted that they had never had conflicts with anyone before. The suspects fled the scene and are now still under search.

In another report three weeks ago, a woman spotted a bomb attached to her aunt’s SUV car parked in the house in the southern province of Pattani. The family members believed that terrorists aimed to murder a 69 year old car owner named Sayutee Hayeetahae who had close contact and work with government departments.