BANGKOK, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Thailand-Explosion
Thai ammunition dump explodes, at least 100 injured
BANGKOK, Thailand, Oct. 25 (UPI) - At least 100 Thai soldiers and civilians were injured and an unknown number were feared killed Thursday when a truck overturned at a weapons depot in northeastern Thailand, triggering a series of explosions, officials said.
Thai Army Commander in Chief General Surayut Chulanond said the explosions began when a truck carrying expired ammunition overturned at the army's main weapons storage site in Pakchong district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, 210 miles northeast of Bangkok.
He said most of the ammunition stored at the base had been seized from insurgent groups along Thailand's borders over the past few years and some of it was unstable. Soldiers had been in the process of moving the weapons for safe destruction when the accident took place.
A major American military base was located at Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat, during the Vietnam war, but Thai officials were quick to rule out sabotage.
Police said the first explosion happened at abut 9:30 a.m. local time and was followed by more than 100 secondary blasts, some of them sending shrapnel and artillery rounds more than 10 miles away.
Hospital sources said one soldier admitted after the explosion had died of a heart attack. Unconfirmed reports said another 19 soldiers who had been working with the old ammunition were killed in the initial blast.
Police said it was still impossible to determine the exact death toll because fires were still burning and ammunition was still exploding.
Most of the civilian casualties were reportedly relatives of soldiers based at the arms dump and adjoining military camp.
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