Authorities speed up probe on gas leak in Thai South

TRANG, THAILAND, June 10 (TNA) - Authorities concerned are speeding up their investigation on an ammonia gas leak incident at a biomass power plant under construction in Trang Province in the Thai South, which killed two people and injured six others on Sunday night. Trang Governor Teerayuth Iamtrakul on Monday led the concerned authorities to inspect the scene at Para Veneer 2002 Company in Yan Ta Khao District, where the 5-megawatt-biomass power plant was being built. According to the authorities, a test run of a machine appeared to cause the leak of the poisonous ammonia, killing the two victims, a New Zealand engineer, Micheal Cockfin, and a Thai employee, Rod Singkham, while injuring six others. Initially, the investigators said, the ammonia gas leak was found at a 15-metre-high ventilation chimney and they were examining the exact spot of the problem. The company, meanwhile, insisted on its full responsibility for compensations to be presented to all those killed, injured and damaged, but it announced that it will go ahead with the construction of the biomass power plant, promising, however, measures will be implemented to ensure that there will never be any repetition of such the poisonous gas leak. (TNA)