PAK CHONG (Thailand) Oct 25: Thirteen people were killed and at least 60 injured on Thursday when massive explosions tore through a Thai army weapons warehouse, ignited by a truck which overturned at the site, officials said.

“As far as I know, about 13 people were killed... and 60 were hurt,” Interior Minister Purachai Piemsombun told AFP, adding that two people were severely injured.

“But that’s based on initial reports right now,” he said, echoing concerns that the toll could rise much higher once emergency crews reach the warehouse complex where fires raged out of control.

Deafening explosions that first erupted at 9:30 am continued into the night, sending fire balls and plumes of black smoke shooting as high as 100 metres into the sky.

By nightfall the blasts had faded to dull booms, and the deadly rain of bomb casings, bullets and shrapnel which carpeted surrounding fields and roads for kilometres around had begun to ease.

As dozens of rescuers were prevented from reaching the depot by the inferno, stretcher bearers dodged the deadly missiles to sprint into the surrounding district and pluck out badly burned survivors.

Hospital officials said army officers and villagers were among the injured, who were mostly treated for cuts and burns suffered on the perimeter of the powerful blast.

Purachai ordered a 20-kilometre exclusion zone around the site in Nakhon Ratchasima province, a 45-warehouse complex which housed rocket-propelled grenades, artillery shells and other ammunition.

The minister said the blasts erupted after a truck carrying old weapons seized from the Cambodian border overturned on the site and ignited, setting off a catastrophic chain reaction.

“As far as we know it was an accident. The army has an inspection team in the area right now and they will report to the ministry of defence,” he said.

Army Commander General Surayud Chulanont attributed the blast to mishandling of aging and unstable ammunition which was due for destruction.

“The army will set up a committee to examine the cause of the blast,” he promised, adding that army clean-up workers will venture inside the complex Friday morning.

The complex is located on a hill in Pak Chong district in the province’s northwest, 180 kilometres northeast of Bangkok.

Army homes are located within the compound and a village lies near the site. The powerful explosions shattered windows as far as five kilometres away in Pak Chong town.

Purachai said 4,000 villagers were evacuated at the height of the crisis. Nearly 3,000 had been allowed to return to their homes while the remaining 1,000 would stay at a refuge in a neighbouring district.

“They can probably come back tomorrow, but right now we are just trying to clear the area. We have safe places for them to stay with food, water and toilets,” he said.

Thailand’s Red Cross called for urgent blood donations, saying its workers in Nakhon Ratchasima had told the Bangkok headquarters that they had run out of blood to treat the injured.

“Our Red Cross officials in Nakhon Ratchasima have made an urgent request, especially groups A and AB,” the Red Cross said.

The security measures around the warehouse complex, one of the biggest in Thailand, created heavy traffic jams on the Friendship Highway leading to the provincial capital, also called Nakhon Ratchasima.

The road links with Highway Two which provides access to 17 northeastern provinces.

Explosions at military ammunition stores happen periodically in Thailand, and are usually blamed on negligence as well as high temperatures which ignite stored gunpowder.—AFP