AT LEAST nine people have been killed after a fireworks warehouse exploded in Thailand.
The fatal disaster erupted near the Malaysian border this afternoon – leaving 118 bystanders injured and flattening nearby homes.
AFPAt least nine people have been killed after a fireworks disaster in Thailand[/caption]
EPAEmergency crews attend the shocking scene in Narathiwat[/caption]
AFPMore than 200 nearby homes were flattened by the disastrous blast[/caption]
The devastating blast happened in the southern province Narathiwat at about 3pm today.
Officials said at least 118 people were wounded and more than 200 households have been affected.
Shocking footage from the wreckage site showed the small town laid to waste.
All that appeared left of the levelled area was infrastructure scrappage as devastated residents looked on in horror.
Aerial drone footage captured thick smoke billowing out of nearby buildings and fires raging as emergency crews attended the scene.
According to local reports, the blast was believed to have been caused by construction work.
Sanon Pongaksorn, the local governor, claimed preliminary investigations indicated a “technical error” in the steel welding of one of the buildings.
At the time, residents reportedly heard a huge explosion, which then shook surrounding buildings.
What followed was the shattering of windows, collapsed-in rooves and a massive plume of smoke into the air, the BBC reports.
Cops confirmed nine people have died as a result of the blast.
Seksan Taesen, an eyewitness who lives 330ft from the market area, told AFP it was terrifying.
He said: “Loud, thunderous noise and my whole house shook.
“Then I saw my roof was wide open.
“I looked outside and I saw house collapsing and people lying on the ground everywhere.
“It was chaos.”
It comes after eight people were killed in another firecracker warehouse explosion on the same day.
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AFPThe explosion decimated the town[/caption]
