RAYONG, 11 June 2014 – The governor of Rayong has ordered a 90-day shutdown of an IRPC Plc.’s plant in the province after Monday’s explosion and fire. Meanwhile, a number of students at a school near one of the industrial estates in the province was taken to hospital after inhaling foul-smelling odor.
In the latest report of pungent odor affecting the lives of people living near Rayong’s industrial estates, 5 students had to be taken to Maptaphut Hospital after having inhaled fumes originating from an industrial plant. 4 of the students have been discharged, but doctors decided to keep one student who had lost consciousness inhaling the fumes, in the hospital.
Sarawut Simueang, a student at the school, said he smelled the odor since coming to school in the morning. The odor, which smelled like rotten durian, intensified as time progressed and he started to become dizzy and his nose and throat started to burn.
The school director ordered classes to be suspended for the day.
Meanwhile, the governor of Rayong province has ordered the IRPC refinery’s sub-unit involved in Monday’s explosion and fire to halt operations for 90 days. 3 other sub-units were also ordered shut. IRPC Plc.’s diesel and benzene fuels production will drop by 1.3 million liters per day because of the shutdowns.
