Narathiwat provincial police will seek a warrant for the arrest of the owner of the fireworks warehouse, which was destroyed by an explosion and fire last week, after he failed to report to the police yesterday (Tuesday). An intelligence report indicates that the owner and his wife fled to Malaysia last Saturday, the day of the explosion.
An informed police source said they issued a second summons yesterday afternoon, after the owner, whose name was not disclosed by the police, did not report to police in Muno sub-district at 10am yesterday as required.
The source also said that, if the warehouse owner fails to show up again, the police will seek a warrant for his arrest.
The owner and his wife were travelling when the warehouse in Muno sub-district, Su-ngai Kolok district, exploded last Saturday. The explosion and subsequent fire caused the deaths of 12 people and injured over 100. More than 300 nearby houses sustained damage.
According to intelligence sources, the couple have dual nationalities and are believed to have fled to Malaysia, through the border checkpoint in Sadao district of Songkhla.
According to a Facebook post by a netizen in Su-ngai Kolok, the warehouse was raided in 2016 and several tonnes of pyrotechnics and fireworks were seized. The public prosecutor decided, however, to drop the charges against the owner.
The netizen noted that it is impossible that authorities were totally unaware of the existence of the fireworks warehouse, as he suggested that bribes must have been paid by the owner.
In his Facebook post, Move Forward MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn also said that he doubts that security forces in the district, including the police and the military, were unaware of the existence of the warehouse and the dangerous goods it contained.
Meanwhile, it is reported that four schools in the neighbourhood, which were damaged by the explosion, have been closed for two weeks pending repairs. 13 teachers and 91 students were injured and one student died.
