Ayutthaya—
At 10:20 PM, on February 29th, 2024, the Ayutthaya Provincial Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) and relevant agencies were dispatched to suppress fires at a warehouse storing 4,000 tonnes of chemicals in dispute under a police process for disposal in Phachi, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
The warehouse was engulfed in flames and thick black smoke covered the area. The firefighters extinguished and suppressed the flames to spread to adjacent warehouses. The firefighter squad was able to control the situation after roughly two hours.
According to the report by the DDPM, the 4,000-ton chemicals stored inside the warehouse were confiscated from a private company in late 2023. It was reported that the property in dispute was under police investigation before being planned to be disposed of after the case concluded.
However, fires mysteriously ignited the property before they could officially and safely dispose of it and the police were currently investigating to determine the exact cause of the incident. One of the potential causes was arson which was under investigation, according to the police.
Initially, the Phachi Subdistrict Municipality announced locals to avoid outdoor activities and wear face masks to prevent directly inhaling chemical smoke. No injuries or casualties were reported.
