Fireworks explode in face of Chaiyaphum festival volunteer, instantly killing him
A 59-year-old man serving as a civil defence volunteer at a Chaiyaphum temple fair was instantly killed on Monday after picking up a seemingly half-lit giant fireworks pipe that then blew up in his face.
The incident took place at Wat Ban Muang Kao in tambon Ban Yang of Kaset Sombun district.
The annual temple fair is held to celebrate the community’s revered monk, the late Luang Phu Ton, who was born during the reign of King Rama III, said deputy inspector Pol Lieutenant Jetsarit Jamnongnit of Kaset Sombun Police Station. Jetsarit received the fatal explosion report at 9pm on Monday.
The victim Riang Phetchnam, 59, was identified as a civil defence volunteer at tambon Ban Han, who aided the temple fair’s organisers in clearing and cleaning a firework-lighting spot near the temple fence. He was checking a giant fireworks pipe that appeared to be half-lit when it blew up in his face and cut his trachea, resulting in instant death.
As the area was noisy and the fireworks-lighting spots were located far apart, it took others a while to discover Riang had been killed and to alert the police.