Spark to action: Villagers shaken by Narathiwat firework explosion ignite legal action for justice

In the aftermath of the catastrophic firework warehouse explosion that rocked a rural hamlet in Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok district on July 29, a contingent of the beleaguered villagers from Muno have decided to take legal recourse. The devastating incident claimed the lives of 12 and left an alarming 389 casualties, with three schools reduced to ruins and a mind-numbing 682 homes bearing the destructive aftermath of the blast.

In response to the Narathiwat explosion calamity, a combined force of provincial military, local volunteers, administrative officials, and various auxiliary agency personnel, were immediately mobilised to aid the victims and undertake repair work for the homes suffering a minimum of 50% damage. According to data from the Narathiwat Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, approximately 302 residences have been successfully mended. The estimation still leaves 95 homes in need of comprehensive reconstruction in the wake of the explosion.

Out of the victims who found their homes destroyed, a group of 25 villagers declared their intent to file a civil lawsuit against the warehouse proprietors. The accused, Sompong Nakul and Piyanuch Puengwirawat, aged 42 years, were taken into custody on August 6. They are facing charges of negligence leading to fatalities, illegal importation and subsequent sale of fireworks, and infringements of the Emergency Decree for the southern region.

One of the intending plaintiffs, Nifairus Samankunwong, discussed his grievances with the press yesterday. He purchased insurance for his home following a flood incident three years ago. However, the recent Narathiwat explosion led to the insurance company denying full coverage for his property.

“My house is worth 4.5 million baht but the maximum I will receive from the insurance company is 2.9 million baht, while the government offers maximum compensation at 230,000 baht per house.”

Nifairus added another caveat to the Narathiwat explosion issue.

“But I may get less compensation from the government because they want to allocate some money to those who do not have house insurance. I did not cause the damage and what happened to me is not fair.”

An inside source has shed light on another startling fact, the overall financial aid being extended to the disaster-struck Muno villagers is barely hitting the 30% mark of the total property values. In turn, this has led to a situation where the homeowners, whose houses are yet to be fixed, have been forced to source temporary lodgings.

The provincial Social Development Department has stepped in to offer aid, offering a monthly sum of 3,000 baht to 85 different families to assist them with the rental fees. As of current estimations, the area’s reconstruction is expected to span over approximately a year, reported Bangkok Post.