Author: wowpow » Wed 18 Jan, 2006 10:03 pm
One dead, three hurt in catering plant fire
BANGKOK POST REPORTERS
Thai Airways International's catering plant under construction at Suvarnabhumi airport caught fire while about 200-300 people were working there last night. One died in the blaze and three were injured.
Chokchai Panyayong, THAI's vice-president supervising the airline's investments at Suvarnabhumi airport, could not confirm whether the fire would delay the opening schedule of the airport tentatively set for June.
Three workers were seriously injured after jumping from an upper floor to escape the flames. The fatality was Jessada Chanram, an air-conditioning mechanic.
Thick smoke billowed from the second floor of the four-storey building around 4.20pm. Three elevator technicians who worked on the second floor jumped off the building and injured themselves.
Woranont Termsap, 25, broke his legs, while elevator technician Wasant Bankhan injured his back. Another worker, Weerawat Meedee, 28, sustained broken arms and legs.
Twenty-fire engines were deployed to control the fire.
The 3.9-billion-baht catering plant is three kilometres from the airport terminal.
Deputy Transport Minister Chainant Charoensiri said the fire started as welding sparks set fire to insulating material. The blaze took a little over an hour to put out. Damage to the building would be examined today.