On December 9, a tragic incident occurred in Nong Khwai Subdistrict, Lom Sak District, Phetchabun Province, where five male workers were found dead inside a wastewater tank at a fermented fish factory. According to a live broadcast by the Lom Sak branch of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, the workers were cleaning the tank when the unforeseen accident happened. Authorities are awaiting detailed medical examinations to determine the cause of death.
Preliminary reports indicate that the victims were discovered lying together at the bottom of the two-meter-wide, two-meter-deep enclosed tank. Rescue teams were alerted around 6:00 PM by locals. To facilitate recovery operations, fans were installed to ventilate the area and increase oxygen levels. The bodies will be sent for autopsy to confirm the cause of death.
At 7:30 PM, Pol. Maj. Gen. Saranai Kongmuang, Commander of the Phetchabun Provincial Police, inspected the site. He reported that the factory owner had instructed the workers to clean the tank earlier in the day. It is believed the first worker fainted due to gas exposure, and others attempting to rescue him also lost consciousness, resulting in their deaths. By afternoon, after failed attempts to contact the workers, the factory owner discovered the tragedy.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Saranai noted that the enclosed tank likely contained harmful gases, though this remains a preliminary assumption pending further investigation.