Nearly 1m krathongs collected

The BMA’s Erawan Emergency Medical Services Centre reported one death in the Rama 8 Bridge area during the festival on Thursday and 507 people injured at other festival venues.

Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said a mission to collect krathongs from the river, canals and 29 parks where the festival was celebrated was completed at 4am yesterday. Out of 982,064 krathongs collected, 885,995 were made of eco-friendly material while 96,069 or about 10 per cent were made of Styrofoam. 

This year’s krathong total was 116,649, 13.5 per cent more than last year, he said. Khlong Toei district had the most at 32,562 followed by Lat Krabang (25,080) and Khannayao (22,100), while Ratchathewi had the least (510). Lumpini was the public park with the most krathongs (36,325).

The krathongs would be kept at the city’s three garbage management facili?ties pending proper disposal according to materials – eco-friendly ones would be buried, Styrofoam would be recycled and bread ones would be fed to fish, he added. 

The festive event was marred by a tragedy, however, with an 18-year-old man reportedly suffering from cramp and drowning at Rama 8 Bridge area in Bang Phlad district at 1.30am while trying to collect coins from krathongs (as many people put coins on them as offerings). His father said the man, a house-painter, was his only son and he was about to be ordained as a monk for merit for the fami?ly next year.

In Udon Thani in the northeast, a 13-year-old girl drowned on the Thursday night when three longtail boats – which took people to float krathongs in the mid?dle of a public pond – sank in tambon Kud Sa of Muang district. Some 14 others on the boats, including 10 children aged 8-16, were rescued from the water.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, Army Region 2 officers dispatched 100 troops to collect krathongs at Boong Ta Lua Water Park to be used for making fertiliser.