Nakhon Ratchasima, March 18th, 2025 — The 2nd Army Region confirmed that an explosion in Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima, killed a scrap dealer and injured four others.
The blast occurred while the scrap dealer was reportedly handling a grenade brought by one of the injured persons, who had found it and intended to sell it. The explosion happened at the dealer’s home, causing significant damage, according to the 2nd Army Region.
Military investigators identified the explosive as a 40mm grenade from an M203 launcher. Another 120mm illumination round, which had already discharged and was no longer explosive, was also found at the scene.
The injured victims suffered severe shrapnel wounds and were transported to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital and Suranaree University of Technology Hospital.
The 2nd Army Region expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged the public to avoid collecting or handling unexploded ordnance, especially from military training areas.
Scrap dealers were advised not to purchase suspicious items resembling explosives and to notify authorities immediately if such objects were found. The source of the recovered grenades remains under investigation.
