At least 12 people killed in Thailand fireworks warehouse explosion

CNN
 — 

At least 12 people were killed and 121 injured in an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand.

The incident – in the village of Mu No – reduced the warehouse and surrounding area to rubble, drone footage showed.

At least two of the victims were children, including a four-year-old boy and a eight-month-old baby girl, according to state run Radio Thailand.

Over a hundred houses were also damaged.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation but initial reports suggested there had been a welding error.

Police plan to charge the owner of the warehouse with a criminal offense for “causing the explosion and resulting in people’s deaths and injuries and property damage,” Narathiwat Provincial Police Commander Anuruth Imarb said in a press conference on Sunday.

“I have nothing left,” said Samsueya Chuenchompoo, whose house was destroyed, according to the AFP news agency.

“I don’t even have a roof over my head now. When there was a flood, I still could survive but now I really have nothing left.”

Fireworks accidents are not uncommon in Thailand. Several people were reportedly injured in another blast in the northern city of Chiang Mai earlier this week.