None injured in explosives depot blast
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Police have sealed off an area around a munitions depot at Chao Phraya Bodindecha Border Patrol Police camp in Chanthaburi province, which exploded on Tuesday night, damaging police housing and cars but causing no injuries.
The fire occurred at 10.45pm at the depot in the camp, which serves as the base of the Border Patrol Police Sub-Division 11. About six separate explosions were heard, as the flames ignited varied munitions stores.
Six fire engines rushed to the scene, but due to exploding ordnance had to wait before they could safely douse the flames.
Initial investigation showed that the fire broke out at a small depot housing rocket-propelled grenades, mortar shells, landmines, and small arms ammunition retrieved by Border Patrol Police Sub-Division 11 and bomb squads along the Thai-Cambodian border during and after the Indochina war. Some of the explosive devices were awaiting destruction.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. The blaze damaged 11 or 12 police homes. Three or four police officers who sustained minor shrapnel wounds to their arms and legs were hospitalised.
Firefighters managed to put out the fire after 20 minutes. But an area of 20 metres around the base was sealed off to prevent any further blasts as the depot also houses other explosives.
