Ammonia leak at Pattani ice plant sickens 18

PATTANI – Local residents were evacuated and schools closed after an ammonia leak at an ice plant sickened 18 people in Muang district of this southern border province on Wednesday.
The leak happened at the ice-making factory of Rongnamkhaenglot Sofapattani Co in tambon Taluboh at about 9am on Wednesday.
Eighteen employees and rescue workers tried to contain the leak but were exposed to the gas and suffered dizziness, eye irritation, breathing difficulties and vomiting. They were rushed to Pattani Hospital.
Local authorities then ordered more rescue workers, all fire engines and emergency vehicles in the district to the scene. Firefighters sprayed water to reduce the impact of the leak and neutralise the vapours, while others tried to reach the point where the leak originated.
Witnesses said the incident happened while employees were checking gas containers, and a metal object fell and struck and ruptured a big ammonia pipe.
Pattani governor Pateemoh Sadeeyamu rushed to the scene. She turned the Taluboh administrative headquarters into a care unit for affected people.
She also asked local officials to persuade people in the area to wear masks and cordon off the scene, and ordered the closure and evacuation at local schools and daycare centres for the safety of children.
“People within the five-kilometre radius of the ice plant should wear layers of face masks or N95 masks,” Ms Pateemoh said.
At about 2pm the valves were closed and the leak stopped, she said.
There were about 20 ice plants that used ammonia in Pattani and there had been a few such incidents in the province, the governor added.