Fire rages at plastics factory; contamination feared
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Firefighters took more than four hours to bring a huge fire at a plastic pellet factory in Bang Pu Industrial Estate, Samut Prakan province under control on Thursday, raising concerns of possible air contamination in nearby areas.
More than 10 fire trucks were dispatched to douse the fire that broke out in large warehouse at Bangpoo Intermodal Systems (BISCO) factory housing Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). The factory is located in block 13B of the industrial estate.
The fire broke out at 8.30am in the second cargo warehouse of BISCO, a onestorey building stacked with sacks of LDPE and various barrels of chemical substances.
Explosions were heard as the blaze spread quickly within the area, sending plumes of black smoke and flames into the sky.
There were no reports of casualties. The Department of Pollution Control has dispatched authorities to follow up on the situation for fear that chemical contamination in the area could harm local residents and the environment.
BISCO covers an area of around 23 rai within the Bang Pu Industrial Estate, and the company stores chemical substances and pesticides in their warehouses.
There are a total of 419 factories in Bang Pu Industrial Estate on 5,417 rai of land, employing more than 58,000 workers.
