On Tuesday evening, Surin Province, located in northeastern Thailand, witnessed a series of loud explosions that rocked the arsenal of the Border Patrol Police Command Center 21. Flames rose intensely from the site of the accident.
Initial reports indicate that the fire broke out at around 7:30 pm inside an ammunition depot located within the complex on the bypass road in Mueang District, about 50 kilometers north of the Cambodian border.
According to the army spokesman’s team, RPG shells and mortar shells were the first to explode, and then the fire spread to a nearby warehouse containing rifle ammunition.
Surin Governor Chamroen Manvit described the distance between three warehouses containing explosive materials, which was only 20 metres, as “unsafe.”
Border Patrol police apartments were evacuated, as were their families from the Surin Pakhdi camp. As for the communities located outside the complex, they remained safe thanks to their distance from the explosion site and the 6-meter-high earthen barrier surrounding the complex.
One person was injured by shrapnel in the leg and is receiving treatment at a local hospital. Initially, fire crews were prohibited from approaching within 100 meters to maintain their safety.
Security officials believe that hot weather was the cause of this explosion. While Major General Winthai Suvari, spokesman for the Royal Thai Army, confirmed that investigations are still ongoing to determine the exact cause.
The bypass road remained closed until 9:30 p.m., and a drone survey of the area was expected on Wednesday morning to develop safe response plans. The army also warned the public against relying on unofficial information, and called for caution in circulating unverified news.
