Southeast Asian parliamentarians today (6 July) warn of the potential health risks and impacts of the Ming Dih Chemical factory explosion in Samut Prakan, outside Bangkok, on surrounding communities and residents of nearby provinces, including the capital.

The fire at the Ming Dih Chemical factory

They urge the Thai government to take immediate and long-term action to tackle the impacts, including the ensuing toxic pollution, and to protect people’s health.

“So far most residents in Samut Prakan and nearby provinces still do not know if they are at risk from this explosion and how to protect themselves. This information is vital. The government should act swiftly to protect the right to health of everyone and provide publicly accessible information on which chemicals have been released, and what is the likely impact of the explosion on surrounding natural resources, including air, water and land,” said Charles Santiago, a Malaysian Member of the Parliament (MP), and Chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR). 

In the early hours of July 5, an explosion and ensuing fire occurred at the Ming Dih Chemical Co., Ltd plant in Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan Province, a few kilometres outside Bangkok. The Taiwanese-owned plastic foam and pellets-producing factory has the capacity to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of expandable polystyrene (EPS) per year, according to Greenpeace Thailand.

EPS contains polystyrene and pentane, highly flammable vapors that can cause dizziness, drowsiness, eye irritation, and respiratory tract irritation, APHR said. The group expressed concern that a range of harmful substances, including potentially cancerogenic chemicals, may have been released through the smoke throughout Monday and could continue in the coming days.

The explosion damaged nearby buildings, and there were reports of numerous injuries and one fatality. Residents within a 5-kilometer radius of the explosion’s epicenter were ordered to evacuate by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Although the fire now appears to be under control, there are reports of smoke still emerging from the site and fears that more explosions could occur. 

“Now is the time to understand what the impacts of the fire and explosion might be, and ensure that all those still operating in the vicinity are adequately protected. Seeing firefighters with surgical masks fighting against potentially cancerogenic chemicals was an atrocious sight. The government should urgently provide adequate material for all those still at risk,” said Sarah Elago, an MP in the Philippines and APHR member. 

APHR urges the Thai government to immediately:

• Distribute publicly accessible information on the chemicals that have been released in Samut Prakan and surrounding provinces, and their likely impacts on people residing in these areas, as well as information on how they can mitigate this impact. Provide charting of wind direction and expected persons most geographically at risk. This should include information about the potential health impacts on pregnant persons, women, children, the elderly and those with underlying conditions.
• Provide a publicly available assessment of the impact of the explosion on natural resources, including water and land, in the affected area, including Bangkok, and their likely impacts on those residing in these areas, as well as information on how they can mitigate this impact.
• Provide adequate equipment, including respirators, to firefighters and others who may still be in the immediate area to monitor the situation.
• Provide immediate relief to communities living within a 10km radius of the fire, such as access to first aid for contact with harmful chemicals and adequate protective equipment. 
• Provide medium-term solutions for communities living within a 10km radius, including adequate gender and SOGI-sensitive shelter and access to food until it is safe for them to return to their respective areas. 
• Investigate immediately the causes of the incidents and the possibility of further damage. 
• Ensure that in the long-term, affected communities are adequately compensated for losses caused by the event and for the government to better mitigate risks of toxic pollution, notably through the passing of the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) bill.

“This catastrophe is a clear sign that the government of Thailand must act much faster on the issue of toxic pollution. In particular, they must ensure that the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) bill, which has been proposed for debate in the House of Representatives, is passed without delay,” said Charles Santiago.