It's possible that the fires at warehouses in Ayutthaya were started deliberately, as one of the warehouses had a previous fire that was proven to be arson, according to Jullapong Thaveesri, the outgoing head of the Industrial Works Department.
In the last three months, there have been three fires at these warehouses. Jullapong has resigned, just five months before his planned retirement in September, without giving a reason for his decision.
Meanwhile, Pol Maj-Gen Watcharin Phusit, the commander of the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division, stated that warrants will be sought for the arrest of the warehouse owners in Phachi district and at the Win Process company in Rayong province.
The owners could be charged with having hazardous chemicals without permission and improperly handling industrial waste.
Firefighters worked throughout Wednesday night in shifts and used water and chemical foam to contain fires in two of the five warehouses. The fire was controlled around 1 am.
The strong smell from the burning chemicals and waste made it difficult for the firefighters. Around 50 fire trucks were involved in the firefighting effort.
The Phachi sub-district municipality has announced that their district hospitals will be closed due to the high level of chemical residue in the air.
A field hospital has been set up at Kok Muang Temple to provide outpatient and emergency services. Yesterday, 28 people received treatment, including nine with eye and throat irritations.
Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, the permanent secretary of public health, commended the quick response to the fires by evacuating all in-patients from Phachi district hospital and setting up a field hospital.
Health officials have examined about 600 people within a kilometer of the burning warehouses, and only 74 experienced mild eye irritations and nausea. They will have lung X-rays taken later for further assessment.
Approximately 26 people were housed in an evacuation shelter and some have now returned home after their communities were declared safe.
Tap water in the villages is safe for consumption.
