Thai PM visits people injured from factory explosion

BANGKOK, May 6 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is visiting people injured from Saturday’s explosion and fire at a petrochemical plant in the eastern province of Rayong. Accompanied by senior officials including Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit, and Industry Minister Mom Rajawongse Pongvas Svasti, the prime minister visited the injured people on Sunday at Map Ta Phut Hospital and presented them gift baskets and cash. Miss Yingluck and the accompanying officials later travelled to the office of Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate and attended a briefing on problems faced by the industrial estate. As of Sunday afternoon, 12 people died in the accidental explosion and fire at a unit of Bangkok Synthetics Co., Ltd. plant at Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong. A total of 128 people were injured from inhaling toxic gases, burns and dizziness. So far, 24 injured people were still receiving treatment at several hospitals, and up to four out of them were in critical condition. Bangkok Synthetics Co., Ltd. had pledged to pay compensation to families of those who were killed and injured from the explosion. As an investigation was underway to find out the cause of the accident, the state-run Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand had ordered the company to temporarily suspend operations so that damages could be estimated and an environmental impact could be properly measured. Officials said air quality at Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate still met the required standards so far. (TNA)