Factory Boiler Explosion Near Bangkok Kills Three Workers, Twelve Injured, Rescue Operation Underway

Bangkok, Thailand— A factory boiler exploded with deafening force inside an industrial zone east of Bangkok on the morning of October 20, killing three workers and injuring twelve others, three of them critically.

The blast occurred at 9:18 a.m. at a food processing plant in Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province, about 45 kilometers from central Bangkok. The boiler, a 10-ton high-pressure unit installed in 2018, was powering the morning sterilization cycle. Workers said they heard a sharp hiss, then a roar. The boiler room wall collapsed outward, sending metal shards and scalding steam across the production floor.

Three men, all maintenance technicians aged between 32 and 48, were pronounced dead at the scene. Rescue teams said they were working within two meters of the vessel. Twelve other workers were taken to Bang Pakong Hospital with burns, fractures, and shrapnel wounds. A hospital official said, "Three are on ventilators with 60 percent burns. The steam does the worst damage. It cooks the lungs."

Bloomberg reported the factory employed 180 workers on the morning shift. About 90 were inside the building at the time. The explosion triggered a secondary fire in the packaging area, which took firefighters 90 minutes to contain. The industrial estate was evacuated for three hours due to risk of another blast.

The Department of Industrial Works said the boiler had passed its last annual inspection in March, but neighbors had complained of loud venting noises for weeks. A safety engineer who inspected the site this afternoon said, "The safety valve was corroded shut. The pressure gauge was stuck. This was not a sudden failure. This was neglect over months."

Factory management declined to comment on camera. In a written statement, the company said it is cooperating with authorities and will compensate families. Workers told local reporters overtime pressure had forced maintenance to run boilers beyond recommended hours to meet export orders for Europe.

Thailand's industrial estates have seen a surge in accidents as aging equipment is pushed hard to meet post-pandemic demand. The Labour Ministry said it recorded 47 boiler-related incidents last year alone. Enforcement is thin, with fewer than 200 inspectors for more than 7,000 registered high-pressure vessels nationwide.

Police have sealed the boiler room and seized logbooks. The Forensic Science Division will dismantle the vessel to examine weld seams and pressure controls. The factory remains closed under court order.

The investigation is ongoing. The plant stays sealed.