An explosion occurred on December 18, 2024, at Sincere Yuan Steel Co., Ltd., located in the WHA Industrial Estate in Ban Khai District, Rayong Province. The incident, which led to a massive fire, caused panic among hundreds of workers who fled the factory. Over ten fire trucks worked for 30 minutes to extinguish the flames. Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosion took place at the steel melting facility, with three blasts preceding the fire.
As of 1:30 PM, Pol. Lt. Col. Sarawut Nuchnarot, Chief of Ban Khai Police Station, confirmed seven injuries, including three critically injured workers—two Chinese nationals and one Thai. Four others sustained minor injuries: two Myanmar nationals, one Cambodian national, and one Thai worker. No fatalities have been reported, but rescue teams continue to search for possible missing persons at the site.
Initial findings indicate that the explosion occurred during the unloading of gas tanks from a delivery truck using a crane. A technical mishap led to the explosion, severely damaging the crane and two gas delivery trucks.
This is the second major incident at the same company this year; a crane collapse in March resulted in seven fatalities. Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the latest tragedy.