International News

BANGKOK, (APP/AFP): Two Thai executives were charged with
negligence Tuesday over a chemical leak that killed eight people as workers upgraded a fire extinguisher system in a bank vault.
The accident occurred late Sunday in the basement of the headquarters
of Siam Commercial Bank, one of the country’s largest financial institutions.
The bank said the contractors mistakenly set the system off,
releasing a chemical retardant designed to starve any fire of oxygen.
Seven of those killed were contractors while the eighth victim was a
bank security guard.
On Tuesday police charged two executives from Megaplanet, a company
contracted by the bank that outsourced the work to a third outfit.
“Police explained the charge of negligence resulting in deaths to
both suspects,” Bangkok’s city police commander Sanit Mahathavorn said.
The executives, Adisorn Phoka and Napong Suksa-nguan, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Both appeared in court Tuesday to hear the charges and apply for bail.