SUPHAN BURI, Thailand: Thai authorities are actively engaged in the process of identifying the remains of the 23 victims who tragically lost their lives in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Suphan Buri.
Ambulances were seen transporting the bodies from the scene to Wat Rong Chang, a Buddhist temple in the provincial capital of Mueang Suphan Buri for identification process.
Family members and friends of the victims gathered at the temple to provide DNA samples to help identify the remains.
Deputy Police Chief, Pol. Gen. Kitirat Phanphet, reported that out of the total victims, 10 bodies have been successfully identified.
The authorities are diligently working to complete the identification process and support the affected families during this challenging time.
"Five of them have been returned to their respective family members," he said in a statement.
In the incident at 3.30 pm (local time) on Wednesday, the fireworks factory in Suphan Buri, approximately 120 km north of Bangkok, exploded.
Earlier news reports said 23 had died in the incident, while another six were injured. However, the police confirmed that there were no survivors in the incident.
Thai PBS reported that a woman had a close call as she left the factory for home just 30 minutes before the explosion. The woman reportedly lost her mother and other relatives in the blast.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said the families of those killed in the tragedy will receive around 300,000 baht (RM39,750) in compensation from the government.
Bangkok Post reported 24 explosions at fireworks factories and warehouses in the kingdom between 2008 and 2023.
In July last year, 12 people died and 300 were injured in the explosion incident at the fireworks storage warehouse in Sungai Kolok town in southern province of Narathiwat. -- BERNAMA