Forensic teams probe Surin munitions depot explosions

Police forensic experts and army ordnance specialists were sent to the border patrol police’s armoury today, which is inside a camp in Muang district of Surin, following explosions last night, injuring one police officer.

Multiple explosions from rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and mortar rounds stored in the munitions depot triggered fires damaging a nearby building inside the Surin Pakdee barracks of the border patrol police.

More than 20 fire trucks rushed to the scene to fight the fires, but were obstructed by exploding munitions. They managed to get close to the armoury to do their job once the explosions had stopped.

Many police officers and their families living in the camp, as well as residents in the neighborhood, were evacuated to safety.

Maj Gen Chainakorn Kitkhana, commander of the 25th Army Circle, said last night that the explosions might have been caused by the hot weather, adding that officers guarding the armoury said they had opened the doors to increase air circulation.

It is reported that the munitions depot was divided into four separate zones, each storing different types of munitions. The one which caught fire last night stored RPGs and mortar rounds.

Meanwhile, Veerachai Phutdhawong, a chemistry expert, has ruled out hot weather as a factor in the explosions. He noted that the average summer temperature in Thailand is about 40°C and does not exceed 45°C.

He said such temperatures would not be high enough to trigger munitions unless other factors were involved, such as age-related degradation of the explosives.

Another possible cause could be the munitions being stacked in several layers, leading to an accumulation of heat or oxygen inside the armoury.

Nonetheless, he suggested that the temperature in the depot should be maintained at no more than 40oC at all times.