NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A fire caused at least 50 million baht damage to a factory that prepares and exports processed chicken to Japan, at Suranaree Industrial Estate on Thursday.
Fire trucks were called to the Vanguard Foods (Thailand) Co factory on Ratchasima-Chok Chai Road in tambon Nong Bua Sala around 10.25am, said Pol Col Chusak Rattanapan, duty officer at Muang police station.
The blaze began in a chicken grilling room inside the factory. The 20 or more workers in the room at the time fled in panic as flames sprang from a large electric grill.
Naruecha Kosasiwilai, chief of Muang district, said extra fire trucks were called in from nearby areas to help combat the fire, which spread quickly through the factory.
CCTV camera recordings showed around 500 workers rushing from the building and milling around outside it in confusion.
Firemen took more than 3 hours to bring the blaze under control. Several people, including two firemen, were rushed to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital. Most suffered from smoke inhalation.
Nakhon Ratchasima deputy governor Murathathee Rakchartcharoen said damage was estimated at more than 50 million baht. Police were investigating the cause of the fire.
