Five workers cleaning an unused fermentation tank at a pla-ra factory in Phetchabun tragically died on Monday, with toxic gas buildup likely to blame, authorities report.
Phetchabun, 10 December 2024 – A suspected accumulation of toxic gas in a fish fermentation tank claimed the lives of five men at a plant in Lom Sak district. The victims, aged 30 to 76, included the plant manager and son-in-law of the owner.
According to officials, the accident occurred around 5:49 p.m. in Moo 5 village, Nong Khwai subdistrict. The men were assigned to clean an unused tank, which had been sealed for over six months. When the plant owner lost contact with them, a search led to the grim discovery.
The tank, measuring three meters wide, four meters long, and six meters deep, was being prepared for new production orders, officials said. Lom Sak district chief Pakpoom Poomee suggested the men may have succumbed to toxic gas exposure and oxygen deprivation, noting no signs of foul play.
The factory, in operation for two decades, has an annually renewed license. Forensic police are conducting tests to confirm the cause of death.
