Two workers were severely burned on Saturday in Krabi after they struck gas that caught fire while they were drilling a borehole for water.
The incident took place at a rubberwood factory owned by Paradome Co Ltd in tambon Krabi Noi of Muang district in the southern province.
Police and firefighters who arrived on the scene found a drilling rig in flames near the site. The two injured workers were rushed to Krabi Hospital.
Firefighters battled the blaze with water and chemicals, which took about three hours. A team from the Mineral Resources Department reported that biogas may have escaped from the hole. The well was sealed with concrete to prevent further gas leaks.
A worker told police the factory hired Water Group Chatnakornbadan Co Ltd to drill for groundwater to find a new water source.
When the workers had drilled to about 400 metres, the well caught fire.
